Devastating Photos Of Ecuador Quake Show The Real Impact Of The Disaster That Killed 246
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador has killed at least 246 people and injured more than 2,500 people.
By Tang Ruxyn — 18 Apr 2016, 11:37 AM
A 7.8 magnitude quake that struck the Pacific coast of Ecuador on Saturday, 16 April, has killed at least 246 people and left more than 2,500 people injured
The death toll has soared to 246, Ecuador's Vice President Jorge Glas said Sunday evening on Ecuador TV. At least 2,527 people were injured, he said.
The hardest-hit area was the coastal Manabi Province, where about 200 people died, said Ricardo Peñaherrera of Ecuador's national emergency management office. The cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales, a tourist destination, saw the most devastation but damage was widespread throughout the country.
It is the deadliest earthquake to hit Ecuador since 1987
According to Jonathan Amos, BBC science correspondent, Ecuador is no stranger to earthquakes, having experienced a magnitude of 7.0 or greater since 1900.
"The country sits on the so-called "Ring of Fire" - the arc of high seismic activity that extends right around the Pacific basin. At its location, Ecuador fronts the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates," he said.
It was reported that the earthquake left Ecuador's most populous city, Guayaquil, in devastation as the houses collapsed and the power was disrupted, leaving people wandering around and sleeping on the streets
The country's Geophysics Institute in a bulletin said the quake struck at around 8pm (01:00 GMT) at a depth of 20km.
Among those killed was the driver of a car crushed by an overpass that buckled.
On social media residents shared photos of homes collapsed, the roof of a shopping centre coming apart and supermarket shelves shaking violently.
Ecuador has deployed 10,000 soldiers and 4,600 police officers to the affected areas. Mobile hospitals and temporary shelters have also been set up.
