It was Friday, October 9, when the ground began to shake in Panama. Magnitude 7,6 at first; the U.S. Geological Survey later revised it to 7,7.
A video that circulated in the media and on social media shows what happened to a four-story hotel: the structure gave way, and debris fell onto the parked vehicles, crushing them. According to local media, it was reportedly the Hotel Dos Continentes, in Penonomé, Coclé province, and it is now uninhabitable. Some reports placed it in Panama City, and that discrepancy remains unexplained.
The epicenter was recorded about 12 kilometers from Tonosí, in the southwest of the country, and about 239 kilometers from the capital. Aftershocks of 6,1, 6,0, and 5,3 followed, and El Tiempo reports more than 47. In the capital’s financial district, several buildings were ordered evacuated.
As of the latest reports, authorities were not reporting any deaths, although an official mentioned injured people who had been taken to health centers, without specifying how many. This information could change in the coming hours.
