Powerful 6.9M Earthquake Rocks Ecuador and Peru

Powerful 6.9M Earthquake rocks Ecuador and Peru
Written by Harry Johnson

Videos shared on social media show people gathering on the streets of Guayaquil and nearby communities

A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Ecuador today, with tremors felt as far away as Guayaquil, Machala, and neighboring Peru, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported.

The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles).

The earthquake, which struck at 12:12 p.m. local time on Saturday, was centered in Azuay Province, about 47 kilometers northwest of Cuenca and 77 kilometers southeast of Guayaquil.

Videos shared on social media show people gathering on the streets of Guayaquil and nearby communities.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 and struck about 65 kilometers below the surface.

According to Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute, the earthquake’s magnitude was lower, just at 6.5.

UPDATE

Ecuadorian authorities reported one death in the town of Cuenca, which is located inland to the east of the epicenter. The victim was traveling in a vehicle that became trapped under the rubble of a collapsing house.

Another three people died when a structure collapsed on the island of Jambeli, immediately to the south of the epicenter.

Elsewhere, destruction of houses, commercial buildings, power and energy infrastructure, and roads was reported by Ecuador’s Risk Management Secretariat.


WTNJOIN | eTurboNews | eTN

(eTN): Powerful 6.9M Earthquake Rocks Ecuador and Peru | re-post license post content


 

About the author

Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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