National

Homes damaged by shifting earth

Regional authorities are investigating the origins of the problem. Meanwhile, residents may be displaced.

LA PRENSA

Exhibit A: A resident of Arraiján shows where a house has been damaged by shifting ground. 952270

Residents of La Sosa, en Burunga de Arraiján, are worried about the unexplained crevices that have been damaging their houses and other structures.

Two weeks ago, Sadot Vega and her family were asleep in their home when they were awakened by the clamor of one of the walls collapsing. Vega had no idea what might have caused her house to fall apart, but she did say that a few months ago she noticed a crevice some 3 centimeters wide that started in her patio and traveled to the floor and wall of her residence. This seems to be the only explanation why her house was split in two. The crevice has put many other families in harm´s way, too.

Rosa Tejada, another resident of the area, said her house has been affected by the crevice, too. "Our family has few resources, and we don´t have the money to move somewhere else," she added.

Ms. Vega and Ms. Tejada aren´t the only ones who think the damage to various structures in the area seems to be caused by some seismic activity. A few meters away, a cement bridge cracked down the middle. Locals believe the crack was caused by the same force that destroyed the Vega family´s home.

No matter how many times the crack has been repaired, it keeps coming back. At least five houses in the area are splitting apart inside and out, and for that reason, residents have asked for an investigation and also a solution to the problems faced by the affected families.

The regional director of the Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil of western Panama, Norie la Rodríguez, said that they have prepared a report on the situation in La Sosa de Arraiján. She added that the report has been sent on to other appropriate authorities.

A source in the regional headquarters of the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP), reported that there are no soil analysis facilities in western Panama to determine the origin of the problem. However, there are other centers that might be able to do an investigation and produce a technical report on the phenomena that has made the residents of La Sosa so fearful.

Personnel from the Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP) in Arraiján claim that the organization has done work to repair the fractured bridge in La Sosa. However, its base is unstable, which causes the repeated damage residents have noted. He added the bridge repairs would be included in next year´s budget and that a definitive solution must be found. MOP made clear that the deterioration of the base of the bridge was not due to bad workmanship but to irregularities in the ground on which it was constructed.