Ecuador earthquake kills at least four, causes widespread damage
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook the Guayas coast, damaging homes and buildings.
A strong earthquake rocked the peripheries of Ecuador’s second largest city, killing at least four people, damaging homes and buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets.
The US Geological Survey reported on Saturday a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the country’s coastal Guayas region. It is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Guayaquil and serves a metropolitan area of more than 3 million people.
President Guillermo Lasso tweeted a message urging residents to keep calm.
The Risk Management Secretariat, the South American national emergency agency, has reported one death in the Andean community of Cuenca. The victim was a passenger in a car trapped under the rubble of a house. Three other people died in the coastal state of El Oro, the agency said.
In Guayaquil, about 270 kilometers (170 miles) southwest of the capital Quito, authorities reported cracks in houses and other buildings, and some walls had collapsed. Authorities he ordered the closure of three road tunnels.
Videos shared on social media show people gathering on the streets of Guayaquil and in nearby communities. People reported falling objects into their homes.
One video posted online showed the TV show’s three hosts jumping out of their desks in the studio, shaking the set.
They initially tried to shake it off as a minor earthquake, but quickly fled the cameras. .”
A jetty sank in the city of Machala. The quake was also felt in northern Peru.