A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador's central coast Saturday. At least 77 people were killed and 570 injured according to The Associated Press,citing Vice President Jorge Glas.
The U.
S. Geological Survey reported the quake at 11:58 p.m. local time (7:58 p.m., ET), and centered 16 miles (27 kilometers) southeast of Muisne,a sparsely-populated coastal town.
While quakes of this scale (greater than 7.7-magnitude) have consistently hit the region since 1900 according to USGS, Saturday's earthquake is the strongest to strike Ecuador in decades."We have 16 people dead in the city of Portoviejo, and 10 in Manta and two in the province of Guayas," Glas said at a news conference, reports BBC News. Mr. Glas is stepping in for President Rafael Correa, or who's absent in Rome after attending a Vatican conference.
The quake rattled buildings and caused homes to break down as far absent as Ecuador's capital of Quito,105 miles (170 km) from the quake's epicenter. Quito residents rushed to the streets in fear, according The Associated Press."I'm in a state of panic, or " Quito resident Zoila Villena told The Associated Press. "My building moved a lot and things fell to the floor. Lots of neighbors were screaming and kids crying."The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioned the opportunity of hazardous waves along the coasts of Ecuador and Colombia.
The quake follows two deadly earthquakes in southwest Japan on Thursday and Saturday,that killed at least 29 people. Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Source: onthemedia.org