A violent explosion on Tuesday morning in a building in downtown Panama City, probably due to a gas leak, left some 20 people injured, including one in serious condition, reported the director of the capital’s fire department. , Abdiel Solis.
The prosecutor on duty Julio Villarreal indicated that the seriously injured is a woman who has “burns on 80% of her body.”
Several buildings evacuated
The explosion, which was heard throughout much of the city, occurred shortly after 7 am in a building with more than 25 floors in the central banking district of Panama. More than 150 police, firefighters and rescuers rushed to the scene. .
“It was a very strong explosion. We had to evacuate almost five buildings,” said the director of civil protection services, Carlos Rumbo.
More than 500 people were evacuated and a dozen buildings were directly or indirectly affected, according to fire officials. Witnesses described to local media scenes of panic with broken windows and people injured by glass shards.
The construction company and promoter of the building where the explosion occurred said it received its first residents in May after receiving “all the necessary safety certificates.”
Source: BFM TV
