The day after the earthquake, volunteers in Panama City were receiving water, food and hygiene supplies for families in the interior.
Gustavo Aragón was in Panama when the earthquake struck on October 9. On Saturday, he joined the Alcaldía de Panamá’s collection effort, helping receive donations alongside municipal staff and other volunteers.
The municipality also requested first-aid supplies. TVN published the collection details for the Hatillo headquarters.
Families were still unable to go home.
Herrera, Los Santos, Coclé and Veraguas were among the provinces hardest hit. In Chitré and Tonosí, residents spent the night in parks and open spaces, with mattresses, chairs and hammocks. Their homes were damaged, and the shaking had not stopped: AFP reported more than 200 aftershocks on October 11.
Reaching some communities was also difficult. The government reported road damage and work to reopen access in Azuero and Veraguas, including routes to Tonosí, Torio and Arenas de Quebro. It declared a state of emergency on October 10.
At the collection point
Photographs provided by Gustavo Aragón.
Reporting linked above: AFP, October 11; Presidency of Panama, October 10; and TVN’s collection announcement. Telemetro also covered the October 10 collection.