Panama picks up the pieces following earthquake

Residents near the epicentre of a major earthquake in southern Panama began cleaning up on Saturday, traumatised by the previous day's heavy shaking that left widespread damage but so far no reported deaths. "This is something we've never seen before. We weren't prepared for this kind of event," said Aldulfo Quintero as he cleared debris from a store in Chitre, about 250 kilometres southwest of Panama City. The 41-year-old told AFP he has a "great fear" that a new earthquake could strike any moment. After the initial 7.7-magnitude quake around midday Friday, over 100 aftershocks have been recorded, some as strong as magnitude 6. Like many others in Chitre, the capital of hard-hit Herrera Province, 28-year-old Yakshuri Castillo chose to sleep outdoors due to fears of another quake. She told AFP she "went into shock" when the first quake struck. Dozens of homes were damaged in the city, whose 66,000 residents were still without electricity on Saturday. The epicentre of the initial quake was registered by the US Geological Survey (USGS) about 60 kilometres away, near the border of Herrera, Los Santos, Veraguas provinces. Earthquakes are rare in Panama and usually occur in western Chiriqui Province, bordering Costa Rica. Strong shaking in Panama City, over 200 kilometres from the...