14 killed in Ecuador, one in Peru due to earthquake

At least 15 people were killed in a powerful earthquake that struck southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday. Many people have been buried under the debris due to the earthquake, to save whom relief and rescue work has been started. The ‘US Geological Survey’ reported that the magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 6.8 and its epicenter was about 80 kilometers south of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second largest city. Authorities said the quake killed one person in Peru and 14 in Ecuador. He said 126 other people were injured.

Ecuador’s President, Guillermo Lasso, told reporters that the quake “certainly caused panic.” Lasso’s office said in a statement that 12 of the dead were in the coastal state of El Oro. and two died in the mountain state of Ajuay. In Peru, the earthquake was felt from its northern border with Ecuador to the central Pacific coast. Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otarola said a four-year-old girl died of head injuries caused by a house collapse in the Tumbes region on the border with Ecuador.

Many buildings have also been damaged due to the earthquake. Videos shared on social media showed people gathering on the streets of Guayaquil. According to Ecuador’s disaster response agency, several people are trapped under debris in El Oro. Several people were buried under the debris after a two-storey building collapsed in Machala. The agency said firefighters were working to rescue people while the national police assessed the damage. Several health centers and school buildings have also been damaged in the country. Ecuador is located in an earthquake prone area. An earthquake north of Ecuador’s Pacific coast killed more than 600 people in 2016.

Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.