Panama earthquake damages homes, schools and hospitals

Panama’s civil protection agency SINAPROC reported damage to homes, schools, hospitals, government buildings, businesses and roads following the October 9 earthquake.

RBC, citing Telemetro, said the initial damage report covered several provinces. One tower of the San Juan Bautista cathedral collapsed in Penonomé, Coclé province, where other buildings were also damaged.

Associated Press reported on October 10 that a state of emergency had been declared, with damage across all ten provinces and two Indigenous territories. The agency said no deaths directly attributable to the earthquake had been recorded at that point.

Estimates of the strongest tremor changed as measurements were refined. A later Associated Press report citing USGS gave a magnitude of 7.7 and a depth of 10 kilometers. Earlier reports had listed a lower magnitude and a different depth.

The Russian Union of Travel Industry said no Russian nationals had been injured. That statement concerns Russian citizens, while SINAPROC’s findings describe damage to buildings and infrastructure across the country.