Sheets, blankets, and inflatable mattresses could be seen in the yards of hundreds of families who were forced to sleep outdoors due to the constant aftershocks produced by the seismic movement this Friday.
A count by Infobae indicates that from midnight on Friday until 3:44 a.m. this Saturday, 23 aftershocks with magnitudes between 4.3 and 5.5 occurred, according to data from the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama.
"The earthquake stole my sleep," complained Ambrosio Pérez, an octogenarian who, wrapped in sheets laid out in the yard of his house, could not find any rest.
He commented that it was the first time he had experienced anything like this. "In my life I have felt the occasional tremor, but nothing comparable to this," he said.
"We haven't been able to sleep, and when day comes I don't think we will either, because we don't know what awaits us," said Noris Ávila from the community of Parita, in the province of Herrera.
In Parita, the town's colonial church, dating from 1656, was affected by the loss of the upper part of its bell tower.
The night was full of scares. Neighbors gathered in the streets each time they felt the movement, seeking places far from power lines.
At every moment, the University's Institute of Geosciences issued a bulletin with the seismic movements, which young and old alike shared.
"How long is this going to go on," wondered Rubén González, who kept repeating that "we have to stay al…
AI Brief
Your highlights
Hundreds of families improvised sleeping spaces in patios and open areas, fearing new aftershocks during the early morning of Saturday, October 10. Courtesy photoSheets, blankets, and inflatable mattresses could be seen in the patios of hundreds of families who were forced to sleep outdoors due to the constant aftershocks produced by Friday's earthquake. A count by Infobae indicates that from midnight Friday until 3:44 a.m. this Saturday, 23 aftershocks occurred with magnitudes between 4.3 and 5.5, according to data from the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama.
"The earthquake stole my sleep," complained Ambrosio Pérez, an octogenarian who, wrapped in sheets placed in the patio of his house, could not find rest. He commented that it was the first time he had experienced something like this. "In my life I have felt a tremor or two, but nothing comparable to this," he said.
"We haven't been able to sleep, and when day comes I don't think we will either, because we don't know what awaits us," said Noris Ávila from the community of Parita, in the province of Herrera. Among mattresses, sheets, and blankets, residents of the affected communities tried to rest while the seismic movements continued to shake the Azuero peninsula. Telemetro video captureIn Parita, the town's colonial church, dating from 1656, was affected with the loss of the upper part of its bell tower. The night was one of jolts. Neighbors gathered in the streets each time they felt the movement, seeking places away from power lines. At every moment, the Institute of Geosciences of the University issued a bulletin with the seismic movements, which young and old alike shared.
"How long is this going to stop," wondered Rubén González, who repeated that "we must stay alert." In Los Pozos, another community in the province of Herrera, the early morning of Saturday, October 10 passed between new movements and the fear of returning to their homes. The earthquake had left multiple homes affected, while the town's church suffered considerable damage, with the collapse of its tower and part of the main facade. Children and adults remained together under improvised shelters, in a day marked by fear and uncertainty after the strong earthquake. Telemetro video captureEmilda De Hernández told Infobae that the aftershocks were felt throughout the night and that her family decided to stay outside the house as a precaution. The passing of the hours did not manage to restore their peace of mind, as each new tremor renewed the fear that had begun with Friday's earthquake.
"Every five minutes we felt the aftershocks. We decided to stay outside the house all morning and it wasn't until dawn that we decided to go in, but it was a long night with a lot of fear," she recounted. The uncertainty also reached the hospital centers of Azuero and Coclé, where the constant aftershocks forced part of the medical care to be moved to outdoor spaces or provisionally enabled areas. Patients and healthcare personnel had to adapt to extraordinary conditions while the movements continued. At the Aguadulce hospital, according to the reports gathered for this chronicle, several babies were born in improvised areas after the earthquake. Amid the emergency, the care of the births continued outside the usual spaces, while families faced worry over the tremors. Several babies were born in improvised areas of the Aguadulce hospital, where healthcare personnel continued attending births outside the usual facilities after the earthquake, according to the reports gathered for this chronicle. Courtesy photoThe main earthquake occurred at 12:56 p.m. on Friday, October 9, with a magnitude of 7.5, according to the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama. Its epicenter was located 39 kilometers northwest of Tonosí, in the Azuero peninsula, and had a depth of four kilometers. By the time night fell, the Institute had already reported more than a hundred aftershocks, concentrated mainly in the areas of Azuero and Soná. The succession of movements kept the communities on alert, even after the main tremor had ended several hours earlier. The earthquake also left damage to homes, educational centers, hospitals, churches, and public buildings in various provinces. The authorities began inspections to determine the safety of the structures, while numerous families preferred to remain outdoors given the possibility of new movements. With the first light of Saturday, the night of jolts came to an end, but not the uncertainty. In the patios where they had spent hours among mattresses and blankets, the families remained watchful for any vibration of the ground, not knowing when they might be able to sleep peacefully again.