One person was killed and five were wounded in a traffic accident yesterday afternoon on the Pan American highway, in the district of Tole, Chiriqui. The accident occurred at 3:30 pm. The fatality was Luis Carlos Armuelles, aged 52, who was a passenger in the grey double cabin pickup truck which collided with an SUV. At the time of the accident a heavy rain was falling at the place. Maj. Mario Rosario, head of Traffic Operations in Chiriqui, said the driver of the pick-up had been ticketed for speeding, a few miles back. Rosario said investigations will be conducted to determine responsibilities. Public Ministry officials made ​​the removal of the body. (Siglo)

Officials from the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) continue the search operation, looking for an 18 year old who was reported missing since last Wednesday in the evening. The boy fell into the river while crossing the Sixaola bridge, located in the province of Bocas del Toro. Two people tried to rescue him, but were unsuccessful. The search operation has become difficult due to high water levels and the turbidity of the river.

In another operation, on Lake Limon, in the province of Veraguas, Sinaproc staff continue to search for a girl, aged 29, who fell into the lake after a collision between two jet skis. This incident was reported yesterday in the afternoon. (Critica)

The Minister of Housing and Zoning, Jose Domingo Arias, said today he would be meeting today at 10:00 am with a social and engineering team of the institution to evaluate the options they might provide to those who were left homeless by the fire in Rio Abajo. "We will evaluate the area to see if they can be located in the same sector, the problem would be the land because there is no room to build new buildings, however we will not rule out all possible options to provide assistance to these families," he said on TVN Noticias. He added that the team from this entity will be responsible for evaluation of the families who spent the night at the homes of other relatives or in a hotel, paid for by the office of the Mayor of Panama City. Approximately 55 families lost all of their belongings yesterday, after an old building, known as the Corotú barracks, was entirely consumed by the flames of a fire reported yesterday in Calle 13, Rio Abajo. (Panama America)

Three workers were killed yesterday after the beer-laden truck they were driving fell from a height exceeding five meters. This happened at 3:00 pm at the entrance of the highway at the community of Nueva Italia, in the province of Colon. The truck fell onto the lanes of the highway going towards Colon, and some witnesses claim to have seen one of the employees jumping from the vehicle, but he ran out of luck because it crushed him. When 911 personnel arrived, three people had no vital signs.

Another sad fact occurred yesterday afternoon at the Port of Vacamonte, in Arraiján. There a man was killed while he tried to move a crane onto a barge. For several hours a team of rescue divers searched for his body. Entering the area was restricted as authorities began an investigation about what happened. This accident occurred at about 4:40 pm and it was learned that the unfortunate man worked for the company Sea Deli. (Mi Diario)

Calle 53 in Marbella was closed this morning and ambulances were sent to the World Trade Center building in what appears to be an exercise. Because of this operation vehicles were diverted people were prevented from entering the area. Some witnesses reported the evacuation of people on stretchers who were supposed to be injured, as part of the drill. (TVN)

SINAPROC this morning found the lifeless body of an American tourist, Anderson Junior Walter, after a search operation. U.S. citizen, who came from Maryland, went swimming in the ocean at 10:00 pm the night before and was not seen again. The Director of Panama's National Civil Protection System Arturo Alvarado said the important thing is that his body was recovered so his relatives can give him a Christian burial. Alvarado said we are in a week of high tides so people should be careful when going to the beach because when the surf comes up as the tide begins to fall, it can drag people into the sea. Alvarado said small boats must have jackets for all passengers. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: Just so you know, the Panamanian press almost always gets the name wrong on the first pass. I doubt this guy's real name was "Anderson Junior Walter", and if I had to make a guess I would go with "Walter Anderson Jr." My heartfelt condolences to his friends and family. This type of story seems to repeat once or twice every year - a foreign tourist dies while swimming on a Panamanian beach. Alvarado is right - rip tides in Panama are formed according to the tide action. A beach that was perfectly safe a few hours ago might kill you now. Please learn how to read the beach, and learn what to do if a rip tide sucks you off the beach. If you stay calm and mostly just float and paddle perpendicular to the beach, you can usually either wait for the rip to lose it's power or swim out of the current and then make your way back to the beach further down. If you try to swim straight back into the oncoming current you will burn off your air and energy, get tired, and possibly drown. Remember this - no rip tide ever took anyone to China, although it might feel like you're on your way at the time.

A plane crash drew attention to the Tocumen International Airport, but it was just a large-scale simulation. Responding units had to control the fire, rescue passengers, and transport victims. A whole array of security agencies participated in the exercise, held at the main air terminal in Panama, with the aim of evaluating the Emergency Plan, required by the International Civil Aviation Organization. (Telemetro)

An emergency evacuation occurred today, Thursday May 31 in the PH Torre Global Bank on Calle 50, due to toxic fumes, believed to be paint thinner. The incident happened after maintenance work was being done using chemicals on the 23rd floor of the building, and these were cast into the air conditioning ducts of the tower, causing a strong odor, said Capt. Juan de Arco, of the Safety Office of the Fire Department of Panama. At least 19 people were affected by the inhalation of these substances, ankle sprains and falls. Four ambulances arrived on the scene to assist those affected, and the fire department initiated an investigation to determine what had happened. The entire building was evacuated, said De Arco. Meanwhile, the Chief of Traffic Operations of the National Police Jorge Miranda, said they enabled a dedicated lane for the passage of ambulances and fire trucks. On April 24, 2012, staff from PH Global Bank Tower were evacuated due to fire caused by an explosion in one of its electrical rooms. (Panama America)

President Ricardo Martinelli talked today, Tuesday, 29 May 2012, about the law governing private security companies in Panama and he said "I think it has to be withdrawn." "This law was created to favor the security companies and that was not the purpose," Martinelli said. He added they will have to sit down with the stakeholders and change what needs to be changed. On this issue the Vice Minister of Security Alejandro Garuz said this morning that today Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino will submit a draft of a Bill to the Cabinet Council that would postpone the implementation of Law 56 of 27 May 2011 , to suspend its effective date, current set for tomorrow, Wednesday. Martinelli's remarks came during the a ceremony to lay the cornerstone of a new hemo dialysis unit being built in David, Chiriqui. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Apparently this law was written so that every apartment building in Panama City that currently has a "concierge" would instead be required to hire an armed guard from a private security company. This is just one example that someone asked about recently in email. I'm sure there are other things included in the law which also greatly favor the private security companies. Anyway, no matter, it's going to be killed. See, isn't it nice to have a benevolent dictator President who can smack down laws passed by the National Assembly, just 'cuz? However if nit comes to pick, it would be impossible for the National Assembly to pass anything in 24 hours, even if the proposal being presented by Jose Raul Mulino is adopted today by the Cabinet Council. So, for a few days, we're all going to be breaking the law - or at least officially ignoring it. Isn't this fun? If you would like to download a Spanish version of Law 56 of 27 May 2011 as it stands right now, you can click on this link. I scanned through it but obviously I'm not going to take the time to translate a law that's going away. And whilst I poke fun, in reality I think it's a good thing that this law is going to be squashed, especially if it was written by the private security company lobby specifically to favor them. Must have been a Panameñista... (that checks, passed last year, killed this year.)

Update: After I hit the "publish" button, I called and spoke to a friend of mine who just happens to own a private investigation company in Panama. He explained that last year the draft for this law was written by someone in the private security industry, but not by a lawyer, and it was someone who was "in the alliance." The National Assembly passed the law and the president signed it, but then the lawyers got their hands on it. Lo and behold, it turns out there are about five things in there that are blatantly unconstitutional. In addition the new law would have practically doubled the cost of having a private security guard. So yeah, it had to go away.

The National Air Service denied this morning that a plane had crashed into Cerro Chame, in the Western part of the province of Panama. Information about an alleged explosion and smoke from a plane crash made the rounds on the social networks, forcing the SENAN to mobilize. Then from the national operations center, the SENAN said a plane had not crashed on Cerro Chame, the director of the National Civil Protection System, Arturo Alvarado reported to TVN. Later, Roberto Ballesteros, SENAN Public Relations, published a photo which shows the burning of tires and that was what apparently caused the confusion about a plane crash in the social networks. (TVN)

At least 30 families were made homeless early Tuesday morning by a fire that consumed the entire insides and belongings of those who inhabited an old condemned building number 7027, located on 9th Street between Ave. Central and Ave. Melendez in the city of Colon. Units from the Colon Fire Department were able to control the blaze an hour later, due to low water pressure. Deputy Chief Commander Nemesio Wood explained that fortunately they had the backing of a tanker from the Water and Sewerage Authority (IDAAN). Some of the families managed to salvage some of their belongings, while others could only save their lives, and watch as the huge flames engulfed the building and consumed what was once their home, so they hope to have immediate relief from local authorities. Officers from the National Police and SINAPROC arrived at the site of the tragedy to maintain order and security of the people who inhabited the building. Staff of the Ministry of Housing and Land Management came at 6:00 am to make a census of the homeless. Meanwhile the district mayor of Colon, Damaso Garcia, immediately said they would offer food for families for several days. (Estrella)

Gerardo Alexis Quezada, 44, was electrocuted on Saturday night when he grabbed a high voltage power line. The incident occurred in the area known as the "Bajada de Tommy" in the city of David. Witnesses to the incident detailed that it happened at about 9:00 pm when the subject entered a very dark place to relieve himself, and when he was done, he apparently tried to grab a cable to exit the site without knowing it was high voltage.

7,000 volts - Preliminary reports reveal Quezada's body received at least 7,000 volts. This caused the body to be incinerated because it became stuck to the cable, until minutes later specialized personnel arrived at the scene and disconnected the electricity. The individual's family came to the scene and identified the body. They said the man was a resident of the El Varital neighborhood, close to where he was killed. In an ironic twist, his family members also said Quezada was an electrician. Units of Criminology, DIP, DIJ, along with agents of the Prosecutor's Office of Chiriqui, arrived to conduct the postmortem. (Mi Diario)

Chiriqui - The Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (Mitradel) ordered this Thursday, May 10, the stoppage of work at the Cilsa hydro electric project, after detecting low levels of safety and security at the job site, said Juliet Guerra, a director of that entity. "There is an imminent danger to the life and health of the workers," said Guerra. The suspension of work at the project job site came after the death of the construction worker Anibal Arauz Gonzalez, who died last night, Wednesday, when a concrete mixer machine hose threw him against some steel rebar, causing his death. (Prensa)

The fire started at about 11:20 am Wednesday morning and the firemen from the Colon Fire Department arrived almost immediately because their headquarters is only a block away. The fire started on the top floor of a condemned old building, built in wood and concrete more than 50 years ago, but the causes of the fire are unknown. The Commander in Chief of the Fire Department of Colon, Benjamin Mizrachi, said water pressure was low, but they are always prepared with tankers to meet such emergencies. He noted there were no injuries to residents or firemen, only property damage.

Yajaira Gondola, a resident of Room 13 of building 1006, with tears in her eyes explained that she lost everything she owned in that room, and many others experienced the same problem when a similar fire destroyed another building where she lived before known as "Park View."

Osvaldo Chavarria, the Director of the Ministry of Housing and Land came to the scene with social workers to take a census of those who lived there. Chavarria said Housing Minister José Domingo Arias commanded priority attention be paid to these victims. Several older adults who were living in the building, among them some disabled people, were assisted by their neighbors, firefighters and SINAPROC. (Dia a Dia)

Staff of the Panama Fire Department confirmed an explosion has occurred in an apartment of the PH White building, located on Avenida Balboa. As a result of the explosion glass particles fell to the road.vFire department personnel have already responded to the scene.vSo far it has been reported that one person has been injured.

Iran Ponce, from the Fire Department, said the explosion occurred in apartment 27A and caused four minor injuries. The building was evacuated and they coordinated with the Tropigas company to disconnect the gas supply.

It is worth remembering that in January there was an explosion in the same building. On this, Ponce said that they have not been able to establish some relationship between the two explosions. (Telemetro)

At least six buildings, mostly of wood, were a total loss, and four others were affected by a fire which occurred in the community of Rio Alejandro in the province of Colon. According to Rolando Espinoza no one was injured. The fire was put out by units of the Fire Department with the collaboration of other residents. Representatives of the Ministry of Housing is studying options to help those affected. (TVN)

The Civil Aviation Authority reported yesterday they have officially ended the search for the bodies of five people who were on board the Cessna 210, registration N-8214M, which crashed in the Darien on 19 August 2011. The information was confirmed by family members, who met with the deputy director of the CAA, Carlos Pashales, and the Chilean Fernando Landaeta, and expert who arrived in the country to help with the search. Irma Paz, the sister of Cyrus Paz, one of the missing passengers, said they are not satisfied with what authorities have done to locate her family member, because there are many contradictions. She added that she feared ultimately they were not going to be found because the search was only conducted at sea and that's not where they are, so she also insisted on a search of the land, but she was not heard. Paz said the investigations were based on a witness, but this is contradicted many times. The plane was piloted by Hugo Cervantes, with co-pilot Jose Guadamuz, and as passengers were Christian Arrocha, Ciro Paz, Anselmo Arosemena and Víctor Rodríguez, whose body was recovered to 17 nautical miles from Playa Muerto in the Darien. (Mi Diario)

One person was injured when the walls of an excavation collapsed a few minutes ago at one of the points where the Panama Metro subway system is being built, specifically in Ancon. According to information from some of the victim's friends, when the collapse occurred the man's feet were trapped. However, he was rescued by his companions and then transferred to the Santo Tomas Hospital, where it was learned that he is out of danger. (TVN)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Initial reports are coming in about a very large fire at the "foam factory" in Mañanitas. So far approximately three fire pumpers and one tanker from the Tocumen International Airport have responded to the scene. They report "personnel from Companies 8 and 12 are working at the scene." So far the fire is not under control. Fire department personnel from Calidonia and Balboa have also been assigned to respond. Firemen on the scene are tweeting - "it's bad." The on-scene commander as asked for assistance and support from trained volunteers and has requested them to respond to the scene of the fire. In addition, the fire department requests that the public open way for responding fire vehicles. So far, not much coming from the regular news outlets. Breaking and developing, initial reports...

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

The tragedy broke out Friday morning at the Marcos A. Gelabert airport in Albrook. There, a plane taking off with a destination Penonome, Cocle, suffered a mishap in the air and crashed to the ground. Upon impact the aircraft exploded and was engulfed in flames. The two pilots were killed in the burned aircraft.

THE FACTS - The event originated at 7:53 am, when the pilots of the plane Guillermo Palm and James Edward Smith William Cain, both 37, requested authorization from the control tower to initiate takeoff from runway 36. While they were at an altitude of 270 meters, still over the runway, the tragedy occurred. The plane plunged to the ground at the end of runway 18 (north), and then burst into flames.

The Aircraft Made Turns - After the accident, the Accident Investigation Unit of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) initiated the investigation to determine what might have caused the tragedy. A witness, who declined to give his name, told El Siglo that the aircraft likely suffered mechanical failure. "James attempted a maneuver to regain control of the aircraft, but unfortunately the aircraft circled back again towards the runway and went to one side, striking the ground twice," he said. The witness added after the first impact the plane recovered flight at a low altitude, then crashed again in about ten feet, where the device exploded. "Immediately the plane caught fire and was engulfed in flames," said the man visibly affected by the fact, he was a friend of one of the pilots who died. "James flew really well and was one of the best pilots," said the witness.

The plane Al-56 was owned by James, who owned it for ten years. "He frequently ordered the engine to be taken down for maintenance," said his friend, unable to hold back the tears.

Apparently, James reported that the aircraft had problems with the control tower and crashed minutes later, another witness said.

Investigation - The site of the tragedy reached officials from the Auxiliary Prosecutor, Criminal Investigation experts, and staff from the Airport Marcos A. Gelabert in Albrook, who conducted surveys of the corpses, which were completely charred. Also present was the Reverend Father Romulo Aguilar, of the Church of Santa Marty of Bethania, who gave the anointing of the pilots.

DECEASED - James Eduard Smith, according to the Public Relations office of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), was the president of the Aeroclub of Albrook and owner of the registered aircraft AL-56, which he owned for ten years. Guillermo Palm was the brother of the La Prensa journalist Mónica Palm. At the scene there were family members of the deceased pilots, who were shocked by the incident. Civil Aviation informed that this is the first fatal accident recorded in domestic aviation in 2012. (Siglo)

Editor's Comment: Sounds to me like possibly something broke which prevented the pilot from maintaining controlled flight. From the witness description of the crash, the pilot was apparently fighting with it, trying to get it straight, level, and on the ground safely. Tragic accident. Our heartfelt condolences to their friends and family.

A fire occurred early today in the Saigon area, Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, wherein at least about four huts were burned and 10 people were affected. In fact, about four who people suffered first degree burns were treated by medical personnel. Eduardo Cobard, Carlos Wilson, Emiliano Lorenzo and Jonatan Herrera are receiving the necessary treatment. Four firemen from the local unit responded, as well as Unit 18 of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) and National Police units. (TVN)

Despite the call from the National Civil Protection System for people to not use Pacific side beaches because of high tides and strong waves, this Good Friday there was a large number of bathers in the morning, in Gorgona, Montaner, Boquilla, Muelle, El Palmar, Canadian and Punta Barco, a total of 368 swimmers. Similarly bathers were reported at Playa El Uverito in the province of Los Santos, 30 swimmers and 50 users. The Director General of SINAPROC, Arturo Alvarado, reported in the beach area of Santa Clara many riptides have been reported due to strong waves, so he recommends precaution by those using these beaches. SINAPROC reiterates "no use of beaches due to the strong tides," which will be recorded from 3:22 pm on Friday April 6 until 7:27 pm on Wednesday 11 April, high tides reach the 17.8 feet. Moreover, the Emergency Operations Center of SINAPROC, located in Aguadulce in Cocle province, reported three cases handled by the staff of the province of Chiriqui. This is a woman with hypertension, and a minor who was rescued. In the area of ​​Panama West a 36 year old woman was transferred who was complaining of pain. In the province of Bocas Del Toro moved a person of Arab origin jumped from a boat before it reached the pier of Isla Colon. (Estrella)

About ten to twelve vehicles that had been seized by the Public Ministry in the area of Juan Pablo in the province of Chiriquí caught fire Wednesday morning. These were older vehicles that were being held in an impound lot, which had been seized by prosecutors in different cases. The cause of the fire is being investigated. (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: The government of Panama has always had a hard time taking care of the personal property seized during arrests and investigations. Logistically speaking, it's a nightmare. There are literally thousands of vehicles scattered all over the place. They really need to pass a law that would allow the government to quickly liquidate (sell or auction) these vehicles while they still have some value. After they sit outside for many years they are almost always reduced to scrap. So, even if the accused ever gets out of prison, they still get nothing when (if) their vehicle is ever returned. I'm sure they would rather be told "we sold your car in 2007 for $7,400 dollars - here's a check."

The National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) of Panama recommended yesterday, Tuesday, 3 April 2012, that people should be aware of pending high tides. On 6 April 2012, Good Friday, at 3:22 pm a high tide of 16.7 feet will be recorded along Panama's Pacific coast. The Director General of SINAPROC, Arturo Alvarado, suggested that people should "not use the beaches on Saturday 7 April, and Sunday 8 April 2012" because these high tides will also coincide with strong waves. He recommended that anyone using Panama's beaches during Holy Week should take all possible precautionary measures, primarily to keep an eye on children, because high tides mixed with heavy wave action can bring consequences that are extremely dangerous. He also said the public should follow the instructions of the SINAPROC staff and lifeguards that will be on duty during this Easter weekend. The tides on the Pacific will reach up to 17.8 feet. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: You can see in the graph the tides will be peaking at 4:09 pm on Saturday, 7 April, and at 4:57 pm on Sunday, 8 April 2012. Holy Week in Panama pretty much starts tomorrow, and is the last real vacation time which marks the end of the "summer" months in Panama. As usual, everyone will head to the interior starting tomorrow and stay through Sunday. Some people will be going to church services, but most just take the time as a vacation. If you want to drink buy your booze now because there will probably be some kind of "dry" law in effect for this weekend, as usual.

Jorge Javier Rodriguez, 30, died Wednesday afternoon, electrocuted while he was doing welding work on his grandfather's house in the community of Retorno in the village of David, in the Chiriqui province. Witnesses said Rodriguez received an electric shock and was thrown to the ground. He was transported to the emergency room of the Rafael Hernández hospital, however upon arrival the doctors said he had died. When relatives of the deceased reached the hospital they could not accept what had happened to their family member. Police officers went to the scene, as well as the DIJ, Criminology, and officials from the Prosecutor's Office, who recovered the body. (Dia a Dia)

"There is a limitation from the physical point of view of a fire truck," said Horacio Robles, an engineer and the president of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA), who said the ladder of the fire trucks of the Fire Department of Panama only have the capacity to reach the seventh floor of a building. The construction of new buildings in excess of 7 stories or 23 meters high, is evident in the city, so the Distinguished Fire Brigade of the Republic of Panama (BCBRP), must create a strategy that allows them to perform a rescue in case of any emergency in a structure that exceeds this level.

"They used ropes and platforms, or they will come up with the pressure hose to control the fire, ventilate, and proceed to the rescue," said Capt. Eladio Rojas, head of the Division of Safety and Fire Prevention of the BCBRP. According to the head of the Security Division, buildings with over 7 floors are classified as "self sufficient", ie they have necessary safety equipment in an emergency such as fire hoses, sprinklers, reserve water tanks, fire alarms, stairs, and fire extinguishers. Meanwhile, Robles catalogs buildings over 23 meters high as "self defended" also must be built under the Human Security standard, meaning they are endowed with stairs and fire walls, that allow people to evacuate in time. Robles recognized that in Panama nor elsewhere in the world, the ladders of a fire truck cannot extend beyond that height.

Permits - According to the president of the SPIA, in order for the office of Municipal Engineering and the Fire Department to issue an occupancy permit for a building, the buildings must have met the standard of Human Security, mentioned above, and they must consider that the buildings are in compliance with the measures and requirements.

Meanwhile Captain Eladio Rojas told the Panama America that firefighters should give "the nod" to buildings, granting a certificate stating that they have the minimum security measures to prevent fires. The standard Human Security was established since 2006, according to the president of the SPIA. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Having the standards in place is one thing. Inspecting and enforcing those standards is something else. Fortunately there has not yet been a tragic or dramatic high rise fire in Panama City - yet.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - TVN is reporting that officials from Panama's National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) are searching for two tourists who are lost somewhere on Volcán Barú, in the province of Chiriqui. According to TVN, SINAPROC is predicting they will locate the lost tourists sometime during the hours of darkness tonight.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

Apparently an electrical short caused the fire in apartment 4F of building 8 in Barraza, which was consumed by flames. The incident occurred at about 10:00 am this morning. The apartment was inhabited by Mrs. Martina Rodriguez, 78, who fortunately managed to get out on time with her two grandchildren, and the three were unharmed in this incident. Approximately 60% of the apartment was burned up, losing important documents and most material things. (Telemetro)

So far this year the Fire Department of Panama has already responded to 2,775 grass fires, which has kept them on alert. According to Paul Tuñon, the Director of the organization, last year they responded to about the same number of fires, but during the entire 12 months of the year. Although people can be fined from $50 dollars to $5,000 dollars (for starting a grass fire), people ignore these sanctions and the situation is getting worse. Among the provinces with the most cases are; Panama, Chiriqui, and Los Santos. (Dia a Dia)

Editor's Comment: Every year there are widespread grass fires during the dry season. If the dry grass does not burn off, then the fuel can accumulate over two or three years, and when it finally does go up (and it will eventually) then it's just a larger and hotter fire. Sometimes it might be better to just let it burn off. In a couple of months when the rainy season starts the grass will grow back, don't worry.

Members of the Security Office of the Fire Department conducted an inspection at the Multimoda store, located on Central Avenue in Chitre, Herrera Province, where was a fire last night. Firefighters are trying to determine what were the causes of the fire that consumed 70% of the structure, that started in the warehouse. Firefighting units from different areas were able to extinguish the fire after midnight in the midst of difficulties with the supply of water and mechanical damage in the hydrants. Losses are estimated at $70,000 dollars. (Critica)