Two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a powerful explosion damaged an apartment building in Panama’s Bijao beach community on Friday afternoon.
The explosion occurred at approximately 4:07 p.m. on September 18 at PH Quarry Heights, a residential complex in the Río Hato area of Coclé province. The blast damaged several apartments and was reportedly felt elsewhere in the community.
According to preliminary information provided by Panama’s fire service, the injured people were a 53-year-old woman and a man. Emergency medical personnel treated them after the incident, and neither was reported to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Firefighters from Antón responded to the complex and secured the surrounding area. Authorities instructed residents and property owners not to enter the building while specialists evaluate the damage and determine whether the structure is safe.
Fire-service representative Margarita Ducreux said the entire building would remain closed until the investigation and inspections were completed. Technical reinforcements were requested from Panama City to assist with the structural assessment.
The cause of the explosion has not been established. Early reports circulated two possible explanations—a vehicle explosion and a gas leak—but neither theory has been confirmed by investigators. Firefighters specifically cautioned against attributing the incident to gas before the forensic examination is completed.
Although some accounts described the event as a fire, responding crews said they did not need to use firefighting equipment to extinguish active flames when they arrived.
Images and video shared after the explosion showed substantial damage to parts of the building. Authorities have not yet announced how many apartments are temporarily inaccessible or when residents may be allowed to return.
