A man observes the San Juan Bautista Cathedral in Penonme after it was damaged by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake. (EPA Images pic)CHITRE: Residents near the epicenter 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 250km 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 6.0.
