The Fire Department of the Republic of Panama, through the National Directorate of Fire Safety, Prevention and Investigation (DINASEPI), reported that technical investigations are ongoing to determine the origin of the explosion and fire of tank vehicles that occurred under the Bridge of the Americas.
Lieutenant Colonel Cirilo Castillo, national director of DINASEPI, explained that the objective is to scientifically establish how the incident occurred.
“Our work focuses on scientifically determining how this event occurred. The identification of possible responsibilities corresponds to other competent bodies,” he said.
Research, so far, has made progress in topics such as:
Field collection: The technical team has already completed the collection of evidence at the scene of the accident, which will serve as a basis for the specialized analysis.
Interviews: Interviews are currently being held with people who can provide relevant information. This process remains open to incorporate new testimonies.
Specialized protocols: Investigations are carried out under strict technical protocols and could last up to 30 days due to their complexity.
The Fire Department reiterated that its function is strictly technical: to investigate the origin of fires and explosions.
The determination of responsibilities corresponds to the competent authorities.
Likewise, it reaffirmed its commitment to prevention, transparency and service to citizens.
The Attorney General’s Office (PGN) has already opened an ex officio investigation after the explosion.
According to the official statement, the case is being handled by the Homicide and Femicide Section of the Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Office, with the aim of determining the causes of the incident and establishing possible responsibilities.
Specialized teams from the Public Ministry carry out technical inspections, collect evidence and interview witnesses, as part of the procedures that seek to clarify what happened.
For its part, the group of experts from the United States who last week carried out a technical evaluation of the Bridge of the Americas, must have the results of the samples sent to the North American country and present the final report between today and tomorrow, Tuesday.
In addition, parallel inspections are also carried out within the perimeter of the company where the explosion occurred, as part of the comprehensive analysis of the impact of the incident.
All of these tasks seek to collect key information that allows determining whether the bridge is in optimal conditions for its use, especially for the transit of heavy-duty vehicles.
Last Monday, April 6, the firefighters, at approximately 4:12 pm, received a report of a fire involving two tank cars in the fuel park located in the area of La Boca, Balboa.
The fire occurred in the vicinity of the Panama Oil Terminals SA (POTSA) company. The magnitude of the flames reached one of the upper parts of the Bridge of the Americas, which just at that moment, a number of drivers were passing through.
Inside the fire there were two firefighters who suffered minor burns and the death of a person who was trapped in the middle of the tank cars was reported. The events generated chaos, where drivers and travelers were trapped for more than 5 hours at a roadblock towards Panama Oeste.
