Ecuador: at least 12 dead in 6.8 magnitude earthquake

The ground shook in Ecuador. “We have 12 dead so far,” including 11 in El Oro province and one in Asuay province, Ecuador’s president tweeted on Saturday evening. The earthquake also injured at least one person and caused property damage. The American Seismological Institute USGS clarified that its magnitude has reached 6.8.

According to the authorities, it happened at 12:12 (17:12 GMT) with the epicenter in the commune of Balao at a depth of 44 km. The earthquake caused panic among residents who took to the streets. Houses collapsed in several cities, including Cuenca, one of the hardest hit.

The earthquake was felt in Quito, Manabi and Manta.

“I went outside because I saw people running in terror, others getting out of their cars,” Magali Escandon, a garment seller in the Andean city, told AFP. Ruined buildings, cracked walls, wrecked cars. Old houses in the historic center of Cuenca have been damaged, AFP reporters report.

According to social media posts, the quake was felt in Quito, Manabi and Manta. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso issued a “call for calm and information through official channels” in a tweet. In Peru, where the quake was smaller, no casualties or major damage have yet been reported.

According to the Oceanographic and Antarctic Institute of the Naval Forces of Ecuador, the tremors “do not match the conditions that could cause a tsunami” in the Pacific Ocean.