{"id":17987,"date":"2026-10-15T11:44:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T16:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=17987"},"modified":"2026-10-14T16:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T21:00:12","slug":"terrified-families-flee-curundu-residential-towers-after-quake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/crime-safety\/terrified-families-flee-curundu-residential-towers-after-quake\/","title":{"rendered":"Terrified Families Flee Curundu Residential Towers After Quake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hundreds of families from the Curundu residential towers remain sheltered at a local school<\/a> in Panama City, refusing to return to their homes until authorities complete deeper structural inspections<\/a> following last Friday’s 9 October earthquake<\/a> and more than 400 recorded aftershocks<\/a>. The displaced residents, from the Yellow, Chocolate, and Green towers, have been camped at the Maripoussepin Educational Center since the initial tremor struck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carmelo Sinclair, who has lived in one of the towers for over 50 years, described the conditions from his ninth-floor apartment during the seismic activity. “They said they are in that process, they are doing the evaluations. Where I live, the walls even emitted smoke and something fell on another side, and in the others, much worse,” Sinclair said [Translated from Spanish]. Despite visits from the Fire Department and Sinaproc, residents say they still lack certainty about whether their buildings are safe to reoccupy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Curundu
Curundu Residential Towers by P.A Edici\u00f3n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

School Becomes Emergency Refuge<\/a> for Displaced Families<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The private school opened its doors on Friday after organizing student evacuations for safety. Berta Atencio, the center’s administrator, explained that families began arriving that evening seeking shelter. The facility now hosts children, elderly residents, and people with pets, with mattresses, sheets, and pillows arranged throughout the premises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daily operations have shifted to emergency response mode. The school prepares and distributes approximately one thousand breakfasts, one thousand lunches, and one thousand dinners each day. Donations from parents, volunteers, organizations, and individuals have supplied food, water, and other essential items to sustain the operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n