A huge explosion has rocked Panama City on Tuesday morning with 20 people injured in the blast and an evacuation under way.
Residents were pictured fleeing from the tower block in panic, as a strong explosion was recorded in an apartment building located in the area of 54 Obarrio Street in the capital city.
Dramatic images show windows and balconies of several floors smashed in, as well as some surrounding buildings also affected.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown, as some 300 people were evacuated and around 12 apartments affected.
Firefighters have reported at least 20 people injured, while around seven buildings in the area have been evacuated as a precaution.
The local fire service confirmed that they attended the emergency "due to explosion in Calle 54, Obarrio."
Abdiel Solís, director of the Panama Fire Department, reported that there are no fatalities due to the explosion and all those wounded are being transferred to hospitals.
The news comes two weeks after a fire has teared through a huge tower block in Turkey, with terrifying footage emerging from the blaze showing smoke spreading across the country's capital.
The fire is believed to have taken place in Fikirtepe, an area of Istanbul, Turkey with videos showing the horror blaze circulating on social media.
In the same area of the Turkish capital, just a week before, a reported gas leak led to a huge explosion in another residential building that killed three people and injured another.
The first blaze on October 9 was caused by an explosion which occurred on the second floor of a three story building in the Fikirtepe neighbourhood at 7pm that day.
It spread to the two buildings next door after successive explosions and firefighters were able to bring it under control after about an hour.
Sadly, a ten-year-old girl and her 68-year-old grandfather died along with another person and the child's father was injured due to smoke inhalation according to Ali Yerlikaya.
