Powerful Panama Earthquake Destroys Homes, Forces Israelis to Flee
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks struck Panama's southern coast on Friday, causing significant destruction in Playa Venao, a town with many Israeli residents. Homes collapsed, roads and bridges were damaged, and communication networks failed. Following a tsunami warning, hundreds of Israelis fled to the mountains, where a local rabbi organized an improvised Shabbat meal. The quake also triggered a severe water crisis, forcing residents to find alternative sources.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Panama's southern coast on Friday, causing widespread destruction.
- In Playa Venao, many Israeli families reside, and their homes and infrastructure were severely damaged.
- Hundreds of Israelis fled to the mountains after a tsunami warning was issued.
- Communication and power networks collapsed, and a severe water crisis emerged.
- The US began sending aid and personnel to the affected region.
- A local rabbi organized an improvised Shabbat meal for evacuees.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake, followed by a 5.82 aftershock, struck Panama's southern coast on Friday, causing widespread destruction. In the coastal town of Playa Venao, home to many Israeli families, houses completely collapsed, roads cracked, and bridges fell. The country's international airport was temporarily closed following the quake, and the United States began sending aid and personnel to the affected area. The shaking lasted for 13 hours. "Luckily, we were outside the house that was destroyed. The ground shook at a level you don't see in movies," said Nurit Goren Elephant, an Israeli who has lived in the area for six years, to Channel 12 News. Communication and power networks failed, with contact only possible via satellite internet. After a tsunami warning was issued hours after the quake, many families fled to the mountains, with over 200 Israelis sleeping outdoors on a mountain. The local Chabad rabbi climbed to the summit with food salvaged from a destroyed supermarket and organized an improvised Shabbat meal for the evacuees. Residents who lost their homes are improvising living solutions. Nurit's family housed five families in buses converted into living units, which survived the tremors due to their shock absorption and solar power. The disaster also caused a severe water crisis after emergency tanks exploded. The Goren Elephant family's well, dug to a depth of 42 meters, filled with mud and basalt. Without access to clean water, families are bathing in a stream, collecting rainwater, and boiling it for drinking.
