At least 413 people have been killed and over 2,500 injured in a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the Ecuador coast. The quake was followed by a series of strong aftershocks. The disaster has ravaged coastal towns and left thousands of households without power.
18 April 2016
The death toll from the powerful earthquake has soared to 272, President Rafael Correa announced.
At least 370 buildings were destroyed, and 151 more buildings including 26 schools were affected.
Vice President Jorge Glas said that 10,000 military troops and 3,500 police officers had been dispatched to the affected areas and that $600 million in credit was allotted to the emergency.
According to the latest government tally on Sunday evening, Saturday's quake killed 262 people and injured up to 2,500.
17 April 2016
More than 1,200 Red Cross volunteers were also helping to render first aid and search for an unspecified number of missing people, the country's vice president said.
Jorge Glas also said that heavy machinery couldn't be used in search and rescue because it could put wounded people at greater risk. He pleaded with people to "be quiet so rescuers can listen for survivors."
The death toll in Ecuador’s quake has reached 246, according to the country’s vice president. A further 2,527 people have been injured, according to the latest estimates.
The Home Ministry said five helicopters and more than 80 buses ferried 4,000 police to the quake zone. The government is calling on an additional 2,000 officers to help "reinforce security," the country's vice minister of internal security, Diego Fuentes Acosta, said at a news conference. He added that the government was present there in "100 percent of its operational capacity."
At least 238 people have been killed and 1,557 injured in Ecuador as a result of the quake, the country’s Vice-President, Jorge Glas, said, according to AP.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has expressed his condolences to the people of Ecuador over the deadly quake.
The death toll from Ecuador earthquake has risen to 233 people, country’s President, Rafael Correa, said.
The number of casualties previously stood at 77 people, but authorities expected the death toll to increase.
Ecuador has seen at least 135 aftershocks in less than 24 hours, USGS reported, adding that more aftershocks are likely in the coming days.
“I'm in a state of panic,'' Zoila Villena, a local resident in the city of Quito, told AP. “My building moved a lot and things fell to the floor. Lots of neighbors were screaming and kids crying.''
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of condolence to his counterpart Rafael Correa over the numerous victims and massive destruction caused by the earthquake and aftershocks, a statement from Putin’s press service said.
“The president stressed that Russia shares the pain and sorrow of those who lost their family and friends in the disaster and wishes a speedy recovery to all the injured,” the statement added.
Pope Francis has urged prayer for the Ecuador quake victims, media reported.
The total energy released by the Ecuador quake was “probably about 6 times greater” than the quake in Japan on Friday, David Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at the Open University, told AP.
The quake in Ecuador started deeper underground than the quakes in Japan, which would have lessened the shaking on the ground, he added.
At least two aftershocks of 4.5- and 5.5-magnitude have hit Ecuador, USGS reported. They happened 37km and 50km from the town of Bahia de Caraquez.
The death toll in the quake has risen to 142, a rescue team has tweeted, adding that at least 269 building have been destroyed in the disaster.
A 5.6-magnitude aftershock has struck the Ecuadorian coast, USGS reported. The quake hit 24km from Bahia de Caraquez and 32km from Chrone.
Ramon Solorzano, a local resident from the town of Manta hit by the quake, told Reuters that he was planning to leave the town with his family.
"Most people are out in the streets with backpacks on, heading for higher ground," he said. "The streets are cracked. The power is out and phones are down."
Ecuador has introduced a state of national emergency in six provinces: Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, Santo Domingo and Los Ríos, Glas said.
The death toll in the earthquake has jumped to 77, Vice President Jorge Glas of Ecuador said in a press conference. He added that 588 have been injured in the quake.
A 4.5-magnitude aftershock has struck the Ecuadorian coast, USGS reported. The quake occurred 46km from the town of Pedernales and 56km from Muisne. The tremor had a shallow depth of 10km.
Vice President Jorge Glass has said that $300 million will be allocated to help with emergency and reconstruction efforts.
Glas has announced that 10,000 troops have been mobilized to the affected areas. The vice president also announced that 57 aftershocks followed the initial quake.
Jorge Glass, the Vice President of Ecuador says 41 people have been killed in the quake.
The activities of Ecuador's 110,000 barrel-per-day Esmeraldas refinery have been halted as a precautionary measure, Pedro Merizalde, head of state oil company Petroecuador told Reuters.
As authorities assess the situation and rescue services continue their work, the vice president of Ecuador has said that the death toll could rise in the coming hours. So far 16 people have been confirmed killed in Portoviejo, 10 in Manta and 2 in Guayaquil.
The area has been shaken by four aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.5 to 5.4 since the original quake. The latest 4.5 jolt struck at 3:05am GMT.
The president of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes, has expressed solidarity with the people of Ecuador tweeting his condolences to the families of those killed.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center update from 2:56am GMT says that based on current data, “the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now mostly passed.” Any possible threat from a tsunami should be evaluated by local authorities in the area.
The US State Department is urging those who are now in Ecuador to check in with their relatives in the US to let them know that they are safe.
The mayor of Guayaquil, Jaime Nebot, who is now in Spain, has called on residents to remain calm and to follow advice from the emergencies authorities, El Universo reports.
He also reported that he is taking the necessary steps to return to Guayaquil as soon as possible, but in the meantime promised to coordinate relief effort from Spain and while on the 15 hr plane ride back to Ecuador.
Footage showing the evacuation of the children's hospital in Guayaquil has surfaced on YouTube, showing dozens of people outside being assisted by staff and emergency workers.
According to El Universo news outlet, widespread damage has been reported throughout Ecuador.
In the southwestern Ecuadorian town of anta Elena, a water treatment plant, Aguapen, has been shut down so that it can be checked for damages following the quake.
Damage to homes has also been reported in San Antonio and Cadeate on Route Spondylus, as well as in Libertador Bolivar.
In Santo Domingo there is no electricity service. Power outages have also been reported in Loja and Ambato, while in Loja the cell phone service was suspended. In addition, a communication antenna has fallen in El Oro .
The Ecuadorian government has declared a state of emergency throughout the country.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that potential wave amplitudes on Ecuador's coast “may vary from forecast amplitudes due to uncertainties in the forecast and local features.”
“In particular maximum tsunami amplitudes on a tolls will likely be much smaller than the forecast indicates,” said an update issued at 1:59am GMT.
The Police and the National Guard have been mobilized to help with rescue and relief efforts.
At least 28 people have died in the quake according to preliminary data, the country's vice president has announced.
The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has urged people to remain "calm" on his Twitter account and to stay away from the coast and move to “upland areas, to avoid wave action and tides.”
Jose Joaquin Olmedo Airport of Guayaquil, is closed.
The latest update issued at 1:59am GMT from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reiterated that “based on all available data... hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts" of Ecuador.
The municipal government in Quito reported no casualties in the city.
Some parts of Quito were left without power and telephone services, with residents using messaging apps such as WhatsApp for communication, Reuters reports.
Photos shared by witnesses showed what appears to be a collapsed highway. The emergency services confirmed a partial bridge collapse and rescuers were dispatched to the scene.
Emergency services reported that people were trapped underneath the rubble of a “collapsed structure” in the coastal city of Guayaquil.
Guayaquil is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, with around 2.69 million people in the metropolitan area.
Quito airport is being evacuated.
Reports also indicate that a double-decker highway collapsed as a result of the quake.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, but reports on social media suggested that the quake caused some significant damage. An air traffic control tower has reportedly collapsed at Manta's airport.