Earthquake in Ecuador and Peru kills at least 14, causes widespread damage

[Judi Lynn]

UPDATED ON: MARCH 18, 2023 / 8:30 PM / AP

A strong earthquake shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday, killing at least 14 people, trapping others under rubble, and sending rescue teams out into streets littered with debris and fallen power lines.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.8 that was centered just off the Pacific Coast, about 50 miles south of Guayaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city. One of the victims died in Peru, while 13 others died in Ecuador, where authorities also reported that at least 126 people were injured.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso told reporters the earthquake had "without a doubt ... generated alarm in the population." Lasso's office in a statement said 11 of the victims died in the coastal state of El Oro and two in the highlands state of Azuay.



Damage from a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the town of Balao in Ecuador's Azuay province on March 18, 2023.
DARIO ORDONEZ/ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES

. . .

Ecuador is particularly prone to earthquakes. In 2016, a quake centered farther north on the Pacific Coast in a more sparsely populated area of the country killed more than 600 people.
In 2019, a very powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck southern Ecuador, close to the country's border with Peru.

More:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-peru-earthquake-fatalities-injuries-widespread-damage/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Earthquake Leaves More Than a Dozen Dead, Others Trapped in South America

BY JASON LEMON ON 3/18/23 AT 8:05 PM EDT

- video at link -

At least 13 people died in the South American nations of Ecuador and Peru on Saturday after an earthquake struck—leaving others trapped under rubble.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the earthquake at magnitude 6.8, reporting that it struck at a depth of just over 41 miles and about 6 miles from the city of Balao located in the southern province of Guayas in Ecuador, Reuters reported. Authorities said they do not expect a tsunami to follow.

. . .

"We all ran out into the streets... we were very scared," Ernesto Alvarado, a resident of Isla Puna told Reuters. He said some homes had collapsed in his area.

"I went out into the street because I saw people starting to run in panic, getting out of their cars," Magaly Escandon, who is from Cuenca, told the AFP news agency.

More:
https://www.newsweek.com/earthquake-leaves-more-dozen-dead-others-trapped-south-america-1788733

[Judi Lynn]

2. At least 12 killed after powerful earthquake rocks Ecuador

Magnitude 6.8 quake struck near country's second-largest city, felt in parts of Peru
Gonzalo Solano · The Associated Press · Posted: Mar 18, 2023 3:09 PM CDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago



A police officer and rescue workers look up next to a car crushed by debris after an earthquake shook Cuenca, Ecuador, on Saturday. The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 on Saturday, about 80 kilometres south of Guayaquil. (Xavier Caivinagua/The Associated Press)
A strong earthquake shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday, killing at least a dozen people, trapping others under rubble and sending rescue teams out into streets littered with debris and fallen power lines.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.8 that was centred just off the Pacific Coast, about 80 kilometres south of Guayaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city.

. . .



The Marine Museum of Puerto Bolivar, detached from the dock, is partially submerged in water after an earthquake shook Machala, Ecuador, on Saturday. (Jorge Sanchez/The Associated Press)

In El Oro, the agency also reported that several people were trapped under rubble. In the community of Machala, a two-storey home collapsed before people could evacuate, a pier gave way and a building's walls cracked, trapping an unknown number of people.

More:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ecuador-earthquake-damage-deaths-1.6783656