A earthquake of more than six degrees of magnitude in southern Ecuador has caused the death of at least four peopleone person injured, two houses destroyed, according to the preliminary balance of the Ecuadorian authorities. The tremor occurred at 12.12 noon (19.12 Spanish time) in the municipality of balao140 kilometers from Guayaquil and 44 kilometers deep.
According to the Ecuadorian authorities, the earthquake was 6.5 degrees of magnitude. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) raises it to 6.8 degrees while the seismological authorities of Peru speak of an earthquake of 7 degrees. Be that as it may, it is a tragedy that has sown destruction in various areas of the country. In addition to the dead, wounded and destroyed buildings, there are three educational centers and two health centers affected by the earthquake, in addition to two houses.
collapsed facade
One of the dead was a person in the province of Basin that he was inside a vehicle and the facade of a house collapsed on top of him. In the province of Gold passed away three people felled by an electrical tower. In this area there are many neighbors who have stayed without light and electricity, due to the collapse of the tension towers. There are also people trapped in businesses and homes and damage to docks or the airport.
These are the two provinces most affected by the earthquake, although damage is also counted in Guayaswhere walls of a mall and of the university, and in Chimborazo a road has suffered a landslide. The images of the collapsed buildings and fire brigade lifting rubble They are already circulating through the media and social networks. The seismic movement was also strongly felt in other cities such as Quito, Manabí and Manta, according to users on social networks.
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The President of Ecuador, William Lasso, He has assured that he will take “immediate actions” and made a “call for calm and information through official channels” in a Twitter message. He has activated a crisis cabinet and has promised all the necessary support to the affected people.
We are carrying out the evaluation of the affectations given by the earthquake. The institutions were activated immediately and contingency teams are mobilizing to offer all their support to those who have been affected. https://t.co/QPeJn80YZK
— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) March 18, 2023
The seismic wave also affected the north and central coast of Peru, although with less intensity. Hernando Tavera, head of the National Seismological Center of Peru, assured that “there is no significant damage to the structure or to people” in that country. The Oceanographic and Antarctic Institute of the Ecuadorian Navy assured that the tremor “does not meet the necessary conditions to generate a tsunami” in the Pacific.