Panama declares emergency after two powerful earthquakes strike country

Panama's government declared a state of emergency on Saturday after two strong earthquakes hit the country on Friday. No deaths were reported, but the damage was widespread. About 420 homes and 420 schools were damaged across all ten provinces and two Indigenous territories. Seven hotels, at least thirteen churches, and nine bridges were also affected. In La Villa de Los Santos, around 40 miles from the epicentre, many buildings suffered serious structural damage. The Church of San Atanasio, a historic site protected since 1938, completely collapsed. The state of emergency will allow the government to bring together resources and organise relief efforts across the country. Aftershocks continued to shake communities for several hours after the initial earthquakes.