Security concerns suspend inspection of apartment explosion site

The visual inspection scheduled for Monday, November 7 at the PH Urbana on 54 Obarrio street, Bella Vista district,  the scene of a massive explosion the previous week, was suspended for security reasons.

The decision to suspend the diligence was made after a review carried out by engineers from the Technological University of Panama (UTP) and personnel from the Panama Fire Department determined that the tiles in apartment No. 12, where an explosion occurred on November 1, present cracks in its structure.

The primary care prosecutor, Julio Villarreal, specified that the experts made the decision to shore up floors 9, 10, and 11 to avoid a possible collapse of the structures when the expertise is carried out, which seeks to determine the causes of the explosion.

These works will be carried out Monday afternoon and, Tuesday, to secure the structures of the floors.

The explosion on the 12th floor of the PH Urbana broke windows, collapsed furniture, threw debris that affected citizens and vehicles, and left 22 people injured, including three hospitalized one with burns to 80% of her body.

In addition, the blast wave affected several nearby buildings, some of which cannot yet be occupied by their owners.