Earthquake in Ecuador

 

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Ecuador on April 16, 2016, at 6:58pm local time on Saturday, lasting for about a minute, and was centered approximately 105 miles north-west of the capital Quito. The coastal province of Manabi was hardest hit. The cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales, a tourist destination, saw the most devastation but damage was widespread throughout the country.

According to the country's emergency management authority, the death toll surpassed 654.  This quake, the worst in nearly seven decades, injured around 16,600 people and left 58 missing along the country's ravaged Pacific coast.

Several strong tremors and more than 1,500 aftershocks have continued to shake the country since the major quake, sparking momentary panic but little additional damage. Tremors are expected to continue for several weeks.

With close to 7,000 buildings destroyed, more than 30,000 people are living in shelters.