The quake struck around noon local time in Balao, a town on the southern coast of Ecuador, about 140 kilometers from the large city of Guayaquil. The US seismological institute USGS reported a magnitude of 6.8, Peruvian authorities registered a quake of 7.0.
“Twelve deaths have been reported so far: 11 in El Oro province and one in Azuay province,” Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso’s office said on Twitter. Later, another fatality in the province of Azuay was added. One person was killed when a wall fell on a car in the city of Cuenca, the capital of Azuay. 381 injured people have also been taken to hospitals.
“Rescue teams are working to provide all necessary support to the people affected,” said President Lasso, who is in charge of the relief operation.
Power has been lost in some places in the affected area. Homes, schools, hospitals and other buildings have also been destroyed or damaged. Many roads are impassable due to flooding caused by the earthquake.
The quake was also felt in the northern coastal region of Peru. So far, Peruvian authorities have reported one fatality. In the town of Tumbes, near the border with Ecuador, a four-year-old girl died after being hit by a falling brick.
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