UPDATE: Death toll rises to 12 after huge earthquake collapses buildings in Ecuador

Earthquake seismograph

Earthquake seismograph. Credit: Andrey VP/Shutterstock.com

An earthquake measuring magnitude 6.7 struck Ecuador leaving at least 12 people dead.

Sunday, March 19 at 0:05am

The death toll from the earthquake that struck Ecuador has risen to 12, as confirmed by President Guillermo Lasso. “So far, 12 deaths have been reported (11 in the province of El Oro and one in the province of Azuay). There are injured people who are being treated promptly in hospitals”, read a tweet from the Government’s Press Department.

In a second tweet, they added: “There are houses destroyed in the province of El Oro and Azuay. @ViviendaEC has been activated for inspections in zone 8 and 5, activating all the assistance and support mechanisms for the affected families”,

Saturday, March 18 at 8:43pm

According to apnews.com, at least four people have died as a result of the huge earthquake that hit the South American country of Ecuador earlier today. As shown in online footage, buildings collapsed in several towns and cities.

Guillermo Lasso, the President of Ecuador tweeted asking members of the public to remain calm. He posted a copy of an official communication that the government released.

Government official Cristian Torres Bermeo tweeted: “The Risk Management Secretariat immediately deploys its capabilities due to the earthquake registered by the IGEPN on March 18. We monitor and collect information”.

Saturday, March 18 at 6:53pm

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude on the Richter scale was registered this evening, Saturday, March 18, near the town of Balao in Ecuador.

According to preliminary information from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), it occurred at 12:12pm local time, not far from the coast, some 6 km NNE of Balao, at a depth of 65.7km (40.82 miles).

Its epicentre was calculated to have been centred in Azuay Province, about 47km northwest of the city of Cuenca and 77km southeast of Guayaquil. Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute put the magnitude lower, at 6.5. The tremor was also reportedly felt in the neighbouring country of Peru. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, there is no threat of a tsunami.

Video footage posted on social media showed structural damage to buildings in the city of Cuenca (Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca), located in southern Ecuador’s Andes mountain range.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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