Quito, March 19 (BNA) At least 14 people were killed in a strong earthquake that struck a coastal area in Ecuador and northern Peru today, Saturday, causing structural damage to many homes, schools and medical centers.
The quake, with a magnitude of 6.8 from the USGS, occurred at a depth of 66.4 kilometers (41.3 miles) 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the city of Palau in the province of Guayas.
Authorities said, according to Reuters, that the earthquake is unlikely to cause a tsunami.
“We are staying in the province to check the damage caused by the earthquake this morning. I want to assure that I am with you and express my solidarity and commitment to the victims,” Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said in a tweet.
The Communications Agency of the Presidency of the Republic said that the earthquake left 14 dead and more than 380 injured, most of them in the Oro region.
The agency said at least 44 homes were destroyed, while 90 others were damaged. About 50 educational buildings and more than 30 health centers were also damaged, while many roads were closed due to landslides caused by the earthquake. Santa Rosa Airport sustained minor damage, but remained operational.
The Ecuadorian Risk Management Secretariat said in a previous statement that one death occurred in the province of Azuay when a wall collapsed in a car. In other counties, structural damage included the collapse of a dock and the collapse of a wall in a supermarket.
The agency said that the state oil company, Petro Ecuador, evacuated and suspended its activities in several precautionary facilities, but it did not report any damage.
“We all ran into the streets…we were very afraid,” Ernesto Alvarado, a resident of Isla Buona, near the epicenter, told Reuters, adding that some houses had collapsed.
The initial quake was followed by two weaker aftershocks in the next hour, according to the Geophysics Institute of Ecuador.
Peruvian authorities said the quake was felt in the northern region of the country, but there were no immediate reports of damage to people or facilities.
HF