Panama government accelerates housing construction after magnitude 7.7 earthquake

The government of Panama is constructing 300 houses for people displaced by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the central region of the country.

One month after the disaster, which caused three deaths and injured nearly 30 people, approximately 2,700 people remain in a hundred shelters while the state works on reconstruction efforts. José Ramón Icaza, the minister for Canal Affairs, stated that the government has opened 70 roads affected by the quake and is monitoring 54 heritage sites.

Of those sites, workers are bracing and securing the structures of 39 locations. The government declared a state of emergency and allocated 100 million dollars to address the damage to schools, health centers, and rural water systems. Jaime Jované, the head of the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning, announced that the ministry will not authorize the reconstruction of homes in high-risk areas near the Azuero-Soná fault.

Jované reported that the ministry has identified 16 cases where residents cannot rebuild due to land instability or landslide risks. Officials are currently searching for safe land to relocate these families.