At least 14 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. The epicenter was about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second largest city. Authorities said the quake killed one person in Peru and 13 in Ecuador.
He said 126 other people were injured. Ecuador’s President, Guillermo Lasso, told reporters that the quake “certainly caused panic” among people. The Lasso office said in a statement that 11 of the people who lost their lives due to the earthquake died in the coastal state of El Oro and two in the mountainous 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.
