Ecuador reported earthquake of around 6.8 magnitude
A strong earthquake shook a coastal area of Ecuador as well as northern Peru at midday Saturday, killing at least 13 people and causing structural damage to numerous homes, schools, and medical centres.
“All ministries have been activated, and sufficient economic resources have been made available to immediately fix earthquake damage,” stated Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 66.4 km (41.3 miles), about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the city of Balao in the province of Guayas, as per the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Authorities stated that the earthquake did not appear to have the possibility to cause a tsunami.
According to the presidency’s communication agency, the quake killed 12 people in the province of El Oro and two people in the province of Azuay. More than 120 people were injured.
According to the agency, at least 7 homes were destroyed, and another 50 were damaged. Around 20 educational buildings and over 30 health centres were also damaged, and landslides caused by the earthquake blocked multiple roadways. The Santa Rosa airport sustained minor damage but remained operational.
According to an earlier statement from Ecuador’s Secretariat of Risk Management, the death in Azuay province occurred when a wall collapsed on a vehicle. A collapsed wharf and a fallen wall in a supermarket were among the structural damages in other provinces.
The agency stated that the state-owned oil company Petroecuador had evacuated and suspended operations in several facilities as a precaution but had not reported any damage.
“We all ran out onto the streets… we were very afraid,” few homes had collapsed, says Ernesto Alvarado, a resident of the nearby island of Isla Puna, told Reuters.
According to the Geophysics Institute of Ecuador, the initial quake was followed by 2 weaker aftershocks within an hour.
According to Peruvian authorities, the quake was felt in the country’s northern region, and there were no immediate reports of damage to people or structures.
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