A powerful earthquake struck the coastal region of Guayas, Ecuador’s second-largest city, on Saturday, killing one person, destroying homes and buildings and sending terrified residents into the streets.
The US Geological Survey reported a 6.7-magnitude earthquake in the country’s coastal region of Guayas.
It was centered about 80 kilometers south of Guayaquil, which includes a populated area of more than 3 million people.
Ecuador’s Emergency Response Authority and the Risk Management Secretariat recorded one death in the Andean community of Cuenca, the victim was in a vehicle stuck under the rubble of a house.
In Guayaquil, about 270 km southwest of the capital, Quito, the authorities recorded cracks in buildings and homes, as well as the collapse of some walls.
The authorities ordered the closure of 3 tunnels. Videos on social media showed people gathering in the streets of Guayaquil and surrounding areas.