Status: 03/18/2023 11:18 p.m
A powerful earthquake has killed at least 12 people in Ecuador. Several people are still trapped in the rubble of collapsed houses, President Lasso said. The earthquake was also felt in Peru.
At least 12 people have died in an earthquake, according to Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso. Others are still trapped under rubble.
According to official information, eleven people died in the province of El Oro. Another fatality was reported in Azuay province. Lasso called on the population on Twitter to keep calm and find out more about the official channels.
The earthquake was felt in southern Ecuador and northern Peru. So far there is no evidence of injuries or major property damage in Peru, said the head of the country’s Geophysical Institute, Hernando Tavera.
USGS: 6.8 magnitude tremor
The USGS said the magnitude of the quake was 6.8. The center was therefore around 80 kilometers south of the metropolis of Guayaquil on the Pacific.
The emergency agency said firefighters were working to save people while the National Police surveyed the damage. However, the work of the rescue workers would be made more difficult by downed power lines. The power supply was also interrupted, as was the mobile network.
Ecuador and Peru lie on what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, which stretches along the west coast of the American continent. There, several tectonic plates collide and often trigger earthquakes.