Panama Quake Toll Holds at 27 Injured, No Deaths, as 147 Aftershocks Rattle the Country and U.S. Aid Mobilizes
Two days after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Oct. 9, the casualty picture has come into focus. René García, director of Panama's Emergency Operations Center, told CNN the mainshock has been followed by 147 aftershocks, some reaching magnitudes 6.1 and 6.6, and that authorities are waiting for the tremors to subside before completing structural inspections of damaged buildings. Health officials say at least 27 people were injured, with no fatalities or missing persons reported so far — a notably lighter toll than the U.S. Geological Survey's initial PAGER red alert had suggested was possible.
The heaviest damage is in Coclé province on the southern coast. In Penonomé, a church steeple partially collapsed and building facades crumbled; in the resort town of Playa Venao, a multi-story building collapsed onto cars below. The Panama Canal Authority said shipping operations continued normally, while Panama City suspended two metro lines and Tocumen International Airport briefly halted operations before resuming flights. A tsunami warning issued for parts of the eastern Pacific was lifted the same day.
President José Raúl Mulino has called the quake a major disaster, noting that some roads completely collapsed. The government has opened donation collection centers, including one at Omar Park in the capital. On the international side, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is closely monitoring the situation and that the State Department is rapidly mobilizing resources and personnel to assist at the Panamanian government's request. Personnel from U.S. Southern Command have been delivering relief supplies alongside Panamanian security institutions.
(Sources: CNN, AFP)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 巴拿马索纳地震受损商铺建筑，美军驰援勘查期间拍摄，美国陆军 Carolyn Dodge 摄，公有领域（Wikimedia Commons）
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