Mr. Francisco Salazar, one of the four people who were injured in an gas explosion in the newly constructed "White" apartment building on Ave Balboa, died on Monday due to the severe burns he suffered on 25 January 2012. Salazar, who was hospitalized in the Burn Unit of the Santo Tomas hospital in Panama City, went with this partner David David Velásquez to the 21st floor to install a hot water heater, however luck was not on their side that day. The announcement was made ​​at a news conference by officials from the Santo Tomas hospital, where Velásquez remains hospitalized. The doctors remain hopeful that the second person can recover. (Estrella)

   

Two men who were working for the company Asfaltos Panameños were killed yesterday morning in Salamanca, province of Colón, as they prepared to begin their work of building the road to the community Santo Domingo. The two laborers, along with other comrades, came down a hill on a backhoe, which lost control. The workers remained trapped under the heavy machinery, so it was necessary to use a tractor to lift the machine and remove the bodies of those who were killed as well as the survivors, who were immediately taken to the hospital. The victims were identified as Miguel Santana, 35, and Anibal Alvarado, while Esteban Sanjur and Adolfo Girón remain in delicate condition. The shock could be seen in the faces of the comrades of those involved in this accident, and there were those who could not control their tears when they saw them in that condition, and when they had to face their family members with the news. (Siglo)

   

A fire broke out on the 34th floor of the Vista Marina apartment building, located in Paitilla. According to Lt. Iran Ponce Iran, of the Fire Investigation Division of the Fire Department of Panama, a wooden cabinet located close to a built in oven caught fire, which produced a cloud of smoke that was seen by the authorities, who called the fire department at 12:34 pm this afternoon. Ponce said the employees and one of the owners was present in the apartment at the time, and the fire was caused by cooking on the stove. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: You should have several fire extinguishers in your apartment - one or two in the kitchen, and a really big sucker in your bedroom, just in case you wake up in the middle of the night to find your living room fully engaged. You might be able to knock it down enough to get to the door.   

The National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) reported three people drowned yesterday, Sunday 29 January 2012. The first report given by the SINAPROC Communications Center, was in the Balneario Las Mendoza, Penonomé, where a 7 year old child who was out with his family, died by drowning. Another of the victims was a 42 year old man who was intoxicated at lake Vigia in the province of Colon. While in the third case was a man 60 year old man from the community of La Cascada in Caimitillo. The Director of the SINAPROC Arturo Alvarado recommends that everyone who will enjoy the summer months on the beaches, rivers, and lakes around the country to be very careful when swimming. He said "if you are not familiar with the area always watch your children. Alcohol consumption can affect your senses and limit your ability to react, which can be fatal in the water, and it's better to avoid accidents than be sorry." SINAPROC clears the beaches they protect at 5:00 pm. Anyone who swims after that time is at your own risk, said Alvarado. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: After traffic accidents, incidents involving water are probably the most dangerous situations for foreigners, expats, and tourists in Panama.    

The truck of a tanker carrying fuel caught fire on the Northern Corridor, affecting much of the exterior of the tank. Although the incident occurred at about 2:45 am early Saturday morning, the vehicle remains blocking one of the traffic lanes in the direction towards the province of Colon, near the exit of Tinajitas. Fire Department personnel remain in the area. Drivers report a massive traffic jam. (Telemetro)

   

A gas leak that occurred when workers were installing or connecting a gas water heater caused the explosion on the 21st floor of the White building White, located on Balboa Avenue, on Wednesday January 25, reported the Fire Department of Panama. In a press release the Fire Department said at approximately 5:20 pm an explosion occurred resulting in four injuries, two of them with severe burns. Major Carlos Rodriguez, the National Director of Security, Fire Prevention and Investigation of the Fire Department of the Republic of Panama, said the investigation is ongoing by the Auxiliary Prosecutor jointly with the Directorate responsible for determining responsibility, and thus far they have not permitted the occupation of the building where the explosion occurred for safety reasons. There are still fire investigators working in the area. Major Rodriguez stressed the need to only use personnel who have been previously trained and certified by the Fire Department to install connections of this nature to avoid unfortunate situations. (Estrella)

   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - This afternoon at 5:45 pm there was a gas explosion in the newly constructed "White" building on Ave. Balboa. Three workers were installing a gas water heater and were injured as a result of the exceptionally strong gas explosion. The windows of apartment number 21 were blown out. Parts and pieces of the window frames landed in the street, and some of the cars that were parked in the Coastal Strip were damaged by flying debris. The three injured workers and the elderly woman who is the owner of the apartment were taken to the Santo Tomas hospital for treatment.

Brand New Building: The "White" building has more than 60 stories with three apartments per floor. So far only about ten families have moved in. It is located just past the BBVA Building, close to the Parque Urraca.

Traffic Chaos In Panama City: The National Police have blocked off the Coastal Strip to allow the Fire Department and emergency responders to do their jobs. There is still debris and glass scattered all over the road. Ave. Balboa, Calle 50, and the Northern Corridor are all completely jammed up. The authorities are asking people to stay home and not use their cars unless it's absolutely necessary, and to avoid blocking intersections. Also, at 8:00 pm tonight the United States is playing Panama at the Rommel Fernandez stadium, and that's also not helping the traffic situation.

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

Three children ages 3, 6 and 8 years old died in a fire when their wooden house burned down in the town of Jujucales, municipality of El Bongo, in Bugaba. Their father, 27 year old Milton Franceshi, was seriously injured and was taken to the regional hospital in David. The fire occurred at about 1:00 am on Monday morning. Apparently the father of the children turned on the stove and then went to a creek located approximately 300 meters away. At the stream he heard an explosion, and when he went running back he found the house covered in flames. He tried to save his children, but it was impossible. The fire department from Bugaba attended the emergency, but the house was located in an extremely remote area. The children were named Bienvendio, Dalila, and Ana Laura. (Telemetro)

   

There was a fire today, Monday, 16 January 2012, in apartment 1E of the Winston Churchill building in Paitilla. According to Lt. Iran Ponce of the Fire Investigation Division of the Fire Department, the fire occurred as a result of a gas connection that was left half open. He said the people in the apartment called the fire department and reported an explosion. Fire truck number 292 was dispatched to extinguish the fire.

Investigation: Ponce said there were employees present in the apartment, cleaning. Apparently, during the cleaning procedure, the employees moved the stove causing a movement of the gas valve that left if halfway open, producing a gas leak. The clothes dryer was connected to the electrical outlet in the laundry in the maid's quarters, there was also a cell phone connected and charging, and the iron was also plugged in - one of these things produced the spark that ignited the blaze.

The lieutenant said no one was killed in the fire. One of the employees had first degree burns in the legs and legs and abdomen and they were taken to a hospital for care. (Panama America)   

Catibel Franco, the interim Minister of Government, denied that the recent death of a firefighter, José Chacón Carrillo, who died as a result of injures suffered while fighting a fire in the Eco Moda warehouse in the district of La Chorrera, was related to a lack of equipment in the institution. Franco said during 2011 they invested about $800,000 dollars in new equipment throughout the country, so the firemen already have the protective clothing and items they need to fight fires. She said the protective equipment purchased for the Fire Department of Panama are part of the modernization of the institution that is being implemented by the new management of the entity. She also said in the coming weeks they will be delivering the new fire trucks - purchased for $10 million dollars - to the fire stations throughout the country where they will be assigned. (Siglo)

   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received via email: "My husband and I are recent pensianados. Friends came to visit over New years for several days. Our last night with them was Tues. We went to El Trapiche for a nice Panamanian meal. Judy and I took a walk after dinner. We were near Burger Bar when I stepped on a man hole cover and it flipped and I went down the hole. It happened so fast I didn't know what happened at first. My arms shot out when I fell and that saved me from falling into the rushing water way below. We both started yelling for help. It took a bit but people came out and grabbed my arms. There was a young woman that rushed over and started speaking English to me. She asked if my arms were broken. I said no. The men tried to pull me out with my arms but were not able to do so. She just took over and straddled the hole, wrapped her arms around me, and lifted me out of the hole. She is not even 100 lbs. She stayed with me. Had someone call for an ambulance, cradled my head on her legs, and kept talking to me. She directed a friend to walk my friend to our condo bldg to get my husband to meet us at Punta Pacifica Hospital. She went with me constantly talking to me, holding my hand, and keeping me calm. At the hospital she also stayed with me even in going into the Xray room with me. It looked like sheer death to me when I looked down and saw the rushing dirty water down there. This young woman is incredible. She recently moved back here from Costa Rica and was living in cramped unpleasant conditions. We had her move into our guest room immediately. She is now part of our family. She is interviewing for jobs and we have helped her in that respect as well. What a capable, caring, decisive, and marvelous young woman. God must have sent her to me. We have photos of the accident as well. The funny thing is I try not to step on any plates or grates. This was a regular round man hole cover. It would never occur to me that it would not be safe. For it to flip was really weird. I sure learned my lesson, the hard way."

Editor's Comment: Panama City certainly isn't "pedestrian friendly." I'm glad you weren't more seriously injured, and that you made a new friend as a result of your ordeal. Believe it or not I see these "I fell down a hole" stories about once a year or so, and for some reason they seem to happen more during the dry season when there are more tourists running around. Anyway, be careful out there guys. I think this is the first "flipped open manhole cover" story I've seen. Normally it's people just falling down a hole because they weren't looking where they were going, and some crackhead had stolen the cover to sell it as scrap metal. The manhole you fell through was marked "pluvial" which means the water running underneath was runoff, not sewage, for what it's worth.

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 alarm was sounded at the Fire Station in La Chorrera, but not to attend an incident, but rather to dismiss Jose Chacon, who died as a result of injuries sustained in the fire that consumed the Eco Moda warehouse in La Chorrera on 24 December 2011. Chacon died on Monday night in the Hospital Nicolás A. Solano, a fact that shocked family, friends and colleagues. Chacon was buried with full honors. His coffin was carried by pumper #5 through the Avenue of the Americas to reach the Guadalupe Fire Station. (Telemetro)

   

Social Development Minister Guillermo Ferrufino will undergo an operation on his hand within two weeks after suffering a fall from his horse while conducting training for a roping contest. Ferrufino, who was elected as the Deputy in the National Assembly from La Chorrera and who is also the Minister of Social Development, had the accident when he fell from a horse on his family's ranch and the was taken to the Hospital Nacional on Ave. Cuba to receive medical attention. After the accident on 30 December, Ferrufino - who opposition politicians who say has been anointed to head the ticket of the Cambio Democratico for the next elections in 2014 - was visited by President Ricardo Martinelli.

He said there was some accumulated fluid what had to be removed, they were going to check his arm, and change some dressings. "Thanks to all who have been watching this new year, which I received with this small accident," he joked. On Tuesday evening 3 January 2012, he appeared on the television show "The Last Hour" with his left arm in a cast, and scraped up. He was also worried about his friend, his' faithful horse ", that was knocked unconscious for three minutes on the day of the accident. (Estrella)   

Alexis Aguilar, 30, disappeared yesterday afternoon from the beach in Las Lajas. Witnesses say he was swimming in the waters of this important beach in the province of Chiriqui when a strong wave took off his hat, forcing him to go in search of it, and he was dragged away by the waves. The National Civil Protection System, once noticed the incident, mounted a search operation to find his whereabouts. (Dia a Dia)

   

The year 2011 closed with 26 burned children admitted to the emergency room of the Children's Hospital with injuries ranging from burns to a thumb, to injuries to both eyes, due to the handling of fireworks. According to hospital authorities, there were more cases this year compared to the end of 2010, including two cases involving children who were less than one year old; one of them was burned on the hands and genitals and the other in the left arm. (Critica)

Editor's Comment: I guess Panama has not yet evolved to the point where the "parents" of these children will be charged with neglect for allowing their kids to play with fireworks. I know, sometimes kids run off and do things without their parents knowledge, and I did that myself. But a child that is less than one year old? Injured by fireworks? They can't walk or sneak away. Panama is not very big on locking up parents for neglect, unfortunately for the kids.   

Firefighter Jose Bernabe Chacon, 40, died last night at the National Clinic. The fireman was injured in the fire that occurred on Christmas Eve fire at the Ecomoda warehouse in La Chorrera. Chacon was a 15 year veteran firefighter and the father of two. (Critica)

   

The National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) will be conducting operations on the beaches and rivers with their employees and volunteers, to provide security during the summer season which coincides with the holiday season. SINAPROC Director Arturo Alvarado, said: "Our staff and volunteers of the National Civil Protection System will be on the beaches of our country to conduct operations for water safety and security during the summer season." Alvarado said this operation will be supervised by trained lifeguards, First Aid units and Paramedics, in order to ensure the safety of the swimmers who flock to the beaches on weekends to spend a moment of healthy recreation with their families. On the other hand he called upon the citizens to use those beaches and rivers that are protected by their lifeguards in order to avoid any misfortune or later regret.

Reaction: Nelson Lara, the President of the Lifeguard Association of Panama, believes this operation called "Safe Summer" is insufficient because it only covers 5% of the beaches around the country. She was concerned because the operations will only be conducted on Sundays, starting on 1 January, she said.

Take the following steps to be safer this summer:

• Follow the advice of the lifeguards.

• Position yourself in a safe place where you can see the children or bathers that accompany you.

• Bathe in a specific area, not too deep, shallow, with low swells, free of rocks and debris.

• Clean the area where you will be, and use caution when walking, as there may be sharp objects that can hurt your feet.

• Do not enter the water after eating food, rest at least an hour.

• Swim with a partner or group.

• Do not over expose yourself to the sun. Use sunscreen.

• Do not swim at night or in murky water.

• If you find that someone is in danger of drowning, ask for help. If you are not a good swimmer or if you are not trained in rescue techniques, do not risk a rescue, as you may become another victim.

• Consumption of alcohol affects your senses and limits your ability to react, which could be fatal in the water.

• When leaving, pick up all debris, leave the place clean, and make sure all your companions are in the group.

• It should be noted the use of motor vehicles is forbidden on beaches, and jet skis have to remain at least 50 meters from the beach.

• It is also strictly prohibited to introduce alcoholic beverages to beaches in bottles or glass containers.

   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - And this just in off of the Twitter-sphere: Panama America is getting citizen's reports of an explosion that has occurred in the Obarrio neighborhood of Panama City. Supposedly there is smoke and fire coming from a building under construction on the same street as the Generali building. More details as they develop.

Update - 3:21 pm: An electrical transformer on the street level exploded and is burning. The fire department is not on the scene yet. Photo from TVN.

Update 4:30 pm: I went down and checked out the fire scene. There were three transformers on a pole that blew up and burned. They shorted and sparked, there was a "spider web" of wires all going into that pole. The insulation caught fire and the whole ball of wire went up. Power went out to the immediate area serviced by those transformers. By the time I got there the fire was out and the electrical company was already there with several bucket trucks, working to restore service. Pretty boring but it's a slow news day - when trash left behind on the "coastal strip" after a Christmas parade is making headlines.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

The National Police said there was no exchange of gunfire in the areas near the "balloon parade" held on Sunday afternoon, and the stampede was the result of "mass hysteria". "Some people were running, but they didn't know why they started running, others said someone had told them there was gunfire, and some people took off running simply because they saw others running," said police Major Elmer Castillo. Castillo said only two people were injured who required treatment at the Santo Tomas hospital for stab wounds, the product of knife fights that took place on National Ave. and in Santa Ana. (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: Last night after the balloon parade was over, people started walking through Calidonia trying to get to some point where they could catch a bus to get home - there was not enough public transportation available to move the thousands of people who went to see the parade. Then all of a sudden there were reports of mass hysteria, panic, gunfire, and people running, all reported simultaneously via Twitter. The police said (repeatedly) there was no gunfire and people simply had panicked. However many journalists received reports some kind of gunfire had in fact provoked the panicked response. As far as the police are concerned if they didn't catch someone in the act with a smoking gun in their hand then it simply didn't happen (denial). But what did in fact happen was the panic itself - and whether it was caused by a "mass hysteria" or not is somewhat irrelevant. Fear is fear, plain and simple.   

Rescue personal from the SINAPROC base located in the Western part of the province of Panama recovered the lifeless body of 27 year old Peankajkumar Kantilalpatel, of Hindu origin, at about 8:27 am this morning, out to sea. According to a press release from the institution, the person had been missing since yesterday, 25 December 2011 from the area of Playa el Palmar in the district of San Carlos. The press release said the drowning victim was together with some companions when he suddenly disappeared, and it was not known whether or not he entered the water or remained on the beach. The Director of the SINAPROC Arturo Alvarado recommends that anyone who goes swimming in the beaches or rivers should take great care when bathing, because there are still heavy rainfalls, and they should always pay attention to warnings. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: The SINAPROC had issued warnings for higher than normal tides and the possibility of dangerous surf conditions in the days before this young man drowned. Dangerous currents can form quickly along the Pacific shores of Panama's coastline due to the extreme differences in tides. At one point in the day the water can be calm and easy to swim. But sometimes those waves and tides can form conditions in which dangerous riptides can be created. Most people don't have the skills to survive being suddenly sucked out to deep water by a very strong current - and rather than just relaxing they fight against it, wear themselves out, and drown. With the dry season coming up more people will head to the beach. It's a good time to post this reminder about what to do if you find yourself caught in a riptide.

   

Personnel from the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) have activated search operations to locate Enrique Angulo Cerva, who has been missing since last Sunday. The search operation includes the area of the Sixaola River in the province of Bocas del Toro. His wife told authorities that Angulo Cerva has a habit of being away from the house, but not for so many days. (Critica)

   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Three cars caught on fire and were totally destroyed by flames last night in the area of Paitilla. Area residents saw the flames and notified the fire department. Once the firemen arrived they first tried to use the closest available fire hydrant, however they quickly discovered it had been hit by a car, was damaged, would not work, and had not been replaced. They then had to lay lines to the next closest fire hydrant that was more than 400 feet away. Of course by the time they got water on the burning cars they had been totally destroyed. (Telemetro)

   

While collecting garbage a worker died after he was hit by the compactor truck from the company Revisalud that was operating in the district of San Miguelito. The sanitation worker slipped on some animal droppings and fell under the truck, and the driver could not stop in time, said Daniel Cantor, the chief operating officer of the company. The Auxiliary Prosecutor arrived at the scene to recover the cadaver. Family, friends, and colleagues also arrived and mourned the loss. (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: Poor guy. Man, when it's your time to go, that's it. One slip and it's game over.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - La Estrella posted a video on YouTube of an interview with an employee of a company named Hercules at the scene of the chemical spill that occurred this morning on Via Transistmica. He explained their company is responsible for unloading the ships at Pier 6 in Balboa, and loading the product into trucks for transportation to the companies that will use it. He very specifically said his company is not responsible for the spill, and that the trucking company would have to respond to any fines levied by the authorities. He said its possible the back of the truck carrying the material might have come open without the truck driver even noticing, because the spill happened in the early morning hours. He also said they had a similar spill this morning at the pier when one of the trucks was having problems keeping the back of the truck closed, and he suggested to the driver that he should use a chain to keep the back of the truck closed, but he didn't know if this was the same truck that caused the spill. He said the sodium carbonate was destined for the company "Vidrios Panameños" who uses it to make bottles and glass. They are apparently out there right now, shoveling the stuff up like snow. He said in his estimation approximately 1.5 tons were spilled.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

Mario Ramirez, a chemist for the Fire Department, said the substance spilled on Via Transístmica is sodium carbonate, which although is not toxic to humans, is harmful to the environment. Ramirez reported that the granulated substance has to be cleaned up using brooms because it hardens when contacted by water. The Fire Department closed the road near the National Brewery. The cleanup process will take some time. (Dia a Dia)

Editor's Comment: Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda ash), Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the ashes of many plants. It is synthetically produced in large quantities from salt and limestone in a process known as the Solvay process.

   

Due to a chemical spill the authorities have closed down one lane of Via Transistmica (Simon Bolivar) on the bridge where it crosses Via Ricardo J. Alfaro (Tumba Muerto), on the side of the road that goes towards the outskirts of town. The mishap occurred in the lane headed towards the outskirts of the city, when a truck carrying the chemical product (a powder) had an accident, but the driver kept going. A large section of the roadway was covered with the powder, while units of the Fire Department are conducting tests to determine what was spilled in order to clean up the area. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: Oh. So the driver had the accident, spilled the chemical, and kept going. That's why they don't know what it is yet. It could be milk powder, or it could be nastyfrigginsmokeyourassaphate. No word yet back from my guys at the site.   

The authorities closed the roadway this morning near the bridge on Via Transístmica located near the National Brewery, which lead to the outskirts of the city. TVN News reported the decision was taken after a truck spilled chemicals on the roadway. The chemical, which will be examined, was being transported in the truck, they said. The staff of the Office of Safety and Security of the Fire Department went to the scene to begin their investigations. Drivers are being diverted to side streets. In addition, vehicular traffic is slow through the area, reported local media. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: I'm trying to find out what spilled right now. Ah, I just got a call back from my friends in the fire department. They are just now arriving on the scene and so far they still don't know what spilled. As soon as they get the details they're going to give me a call back. Let me make sure Dad's awake - he's a HAZMAT expert...   

After spending 60 days of vacation, this Friday the (now) former Director of the National Civil Protection System in Chiriqui, José Donderis, returned to his job, and at noon he formally resigned over alleged discrepancies with the General Director of the SINAPROC, Arturo Alvarado. Donderis, who assumed the position on 1 August 2009, said he was grateful for the opportunity, but added he prefers to stay away to avoid conflict so therefore he will retire to private enterprise. For now, Abelardo Serrano remains as the Director in Charge of the Sinaproc in Chiriqui, until a new regional manager is appointed. (Telemetro)   

Firemen are smothering a fire that broke out in a warehouse of a company that sells communications equipment located at Plaza Conquistador, via Tocumen. The fire has spread to offices of the Social Security Fund (Hospital Susana Jones). Very near where the fire originated is located a warehouse where court records are stored. So far no casualties have been reported. (Critica)

   

A fire broke out on Friday morning in the Plaza Conquistador, on the road Domingo Diaz (via Tocumen). The National Police reported via their Twitter account that firefighters managed to control the fire. They had previously asked motorists to yield to emergency vehicles. It is unknown where specifically - in what business - the fire occurred, or the cause of the fire. At Plaza Conquistador there are several stores, restaurants, a veterinary clinic, and offices of the Social Security Fund. There is also a school and several privately owned storage facilities. (TVN)