Residents in Tonosi, the Panama town closest to the epicenter of the powerful earthquake that struck the country on Friday, have been sleeping in makeshift shelters and are reluctant to return to their damaged homes for fear of constant aftershocks.
The magnitude-7.5 earthquake rattled Panama on Friday, with its epicenter about 39 kilometers northwest of Tonosi. By Monday, more than 400 aftershocks were recorded, some quite strong.
While no deaths have been reported, families in some of the hardest-hit communities have lost their homes and are now facing heavy rains.
Jose Villareal, a local transportation worker, was at work when the earthquakes brought down his childhood home, where he grew up with his grandmother. To his great relief, his family escaped injury.
"We've seen what happened in Colombia and Venezuela, where families lost loved ones. That's a much greater pain. Here, the losses are material," he said.
Across Panama, more than 1,000 homes and some 650 schools have been affected. Public buildings and infrastructure have also suffered significant damage, leaving communities facing the difficult task of assessing what can be repaired and what will need to be rebuilt.
In Tonosi, where the destruction is particularly visible, a rainy season is adding another hardship for families who are afraid of returning home, exposing those without adequate shelter to heavy downpours.
Librada Reyes, a bank teller, gathered with her family and neighbors she has known since childhood under improvised tents during the showers. They are relying on food donated by local businesses.
"Obviously, if we go back to work, it will be with a lot of fear, because we are always wondering when the next tremor will be and what magnitude it will be. You will notice that everyone here feels the same. Nobody wants to go back inside and have this happen again," she said.
Cristian Perez, a drone technician, expressed concerns that families who survive on modest earnings face great challenges ahead.
"To be honest, wages are very low here in the interior. Losing your home and starting from scratch is extremely difficult for most people. We need support," Perez said.
Humanitarian organizations, including UNICEF, have also highlighted the urgent need for assistance in the quake-hit country.
Hundreds of aftershocks keep residents on edge after powerful quake hits Panama
