Strong Earthquake In Ecuador Kills At Least 4

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A powerful earthquake shook the area round Ecuador’s second-largest metropolis on Saturday, killing a minimum of 4 individuals, damaging houses and buildings, and sending panicked residents into the streets.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 within the nation’s coastal Guayas area. It was centered about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, which anchors a metro space of over 3 million individuals.

President Guillermo Lasso tweeted a message asking residents to stay calm.

The South American nation’s emergency response company, the Risk Management Secretariat, reported one individual died within the Andean neighborhood of Cuenca. The sufferer was a passenger in a automobile trapped underneath the rubble of a home. Three different individuals died within the coastal state of El Oro, the company reported.

In Guayaquil, about 170 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Quito, authorities reported cracks on buildings and houses, in addition to some collapsed partitions. Authorities ordered the closure of three vehicular tunnels.

Videos shared on social media present individuals gathered on the streets of Guayaquil and close by communities. People reported objects falling inside their houses.

One video posted on-line confirmed three anchors of a present dart from their studio desk because the set shook. They initially tried to shake it off as a minor quake however quickly fled off digital camera. One anchor indicated the present would go on a business break, whereas one other repeated, “My God, my God.”

A pier sank within the metropolis of Machala. The earthquake was additionally felt in northern Peru.

Associated Press author Regina Garcia Cano contributed to this report from Caracas, Venezuela.