CNN
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A minimum of 16 individuals died after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck southern Ecuador on Saturday afternoon, in line with authorities officers.
The earthquake struck close to the southern city of Baláo and was greater than 65 km (practically 41 miles) deep, in line with the United States Geological Survey.
An estimated 381 individuals have been injured within the quake, the Basic Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency of Ecuador tweeted on their official account.
Within the province of El Oro, at the very least 11 individuals died. A minimum of one different dying was reported within the province of Azuay, in line with the communications division for Ecuador’s president. In an earlier assertion, authorities mentioned the individual in Azuay was killed when a wall collapsed onto a automotive and that at the very least three of the victims in El Oro died when a safety digital camera tower got here down.
Individuals who have been injured have been being handled at hospitals, the Presidency added, however didn’t present additional particulars.
The USGS gave the tremor an “orange alert,” saying “important casualties are probably and the catastrophe is doubtlessly widespread.”
“Previous occasions with this alert degree have required a regional or nationwide degree response,” the USGS added. It additionally estimated harm and financial losses have been potential.
Kin of a CNN producer within the western port metropolis of Guayaquil mentioned they felt “very robust” tremors.
CNN afiliate Ecuavisa reported structural harm to buildings in Cuenca, one of many nation’s greatest cities. The historic metropolis is within the UN listing of world heritage websites.
There is no such thing as a tsunami warning in impact for the world, in line with the US National Weather Service.
The airports of Guayaquil and Cuenca remained open and operational, the nation’s assertion mentioned.