Israeli expat recounts destruction, home collapse in magnitude 7.7 Panama earthquake

The Jerusalem Post · JERUSALEM POST STAFF · 2026-10-11 06:29 UTC

Speaking to N12 News, Israeli Nurit Goren Elfant described the destruction and damage caused by the quake and subsequent aftershocks, some of which reached magnitudes of up to 5.8.

As a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook Panama on Friday, Israeli Nurit Goren Elfant and her family felt lucky to be outside as their house, like many others in the area, collapsed.

Speaking to N12 News on Saturday, Elfant described the destruction and damage caused by the quake and subsequent aftershocks, some reaching up to magnitude 5.8.

“It happened a few minutes before one in the afternoon. It was something you can’t even imagine,” she recounted. “The ground shook at a level you don’t see in movies, and for 13 consecutive hours, there were tremors every few minutes. We were lucky to have been outside when our house was destroyed.”

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