Two powerful quakes strike Panama

Panama's government declared a state of emergency Saturday following two earthquakes that struck Friday. The quakes measured seven point seven and six point six magnitude and toppled buildings across the country.

Damage reported across all provinces

Officials reported no deaths but said damage affected all ten of Panama's provinces and two Indigenous territories. About four hundred twenty homes and the same number of public schools were damaged.

Epicentre near remote community

The earlier quake was centred about ten kilometres south-west of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province, according to the US Geological Survey.It struck at a depth of ten kilometres and was also felt in neighbouring Colombia.

Over one hundred aftershocks recorded

Seismologists recorded more than one hundred aftershocks, including ones measuring magnitude five point eight, five point five and five point two. The aftershocks shook communities for hours after the initial quakes.

Ninety-year-old describes intense experience

In La Villa de Los Santos, about sixty-four kilometres north-east of the epicentre, homes and a historical Catholic church collapsed.

“It was a terrible thing. I can tell you with absolute certainty that in my 90 years, I had never experienced anything like it. It was intense, truly intense.”

US pledges aid and sends rescue team

The US Department of State mobilised a disaster response team to help with search and rescue expertise and assessments.