QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A powerful earthquake shook the area round Ecuador’s second-largest metropolis on Saturday, killing a minimum of one individual, damaging houses and buildings, and sending panicked residents into the streets.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.7 within the nation’s coastal Guayas area. It was centered about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, which anchors a metro space of over 3 million folks.
The South American nation’s emergency response company, the Threat Administration Secretariat, reported one individual died within the Andean group of Cuenca. The sufferer was a passenger in a automobile trapped beneath the rubble of a home.
In Guayaquil, about 170 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Quito, authorities reported cracks on buildings and houses, in addition to some collapsed partitions. Authorities ordered the closure of three vehicular tunnels.
Movies shared on social media present folks gathered on the streets of Guayaquil and close by communities. Individuals reported objects falling inside their houses.
A pier sank within the metropolis of Machala. The earthquake was additionally felt in northern Peru.