Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Jolts Ecuador
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake was recorded along the coast of Ecuador on Sunday, the same area where a deadly tremor left hundreds of casualties last year.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, Ecuador President Lenin Moreno said there are no immediate reports of victims or major damage from the quake as of yet. The quake joggled many Ecuadoreans who were still in bed shortly after 6 a.m. (1100 GMT). The report also said that the quake was felt in 12 provinces across the country.
Ecuador has just gotten up from the ashes of the deadly earthquake last year that killed more than 600 people, injured thousands more, and left a number of homeless individuals.
The U.S. Geological Survey, as reported by the Associated Press, said the quake’s depth was around 25 kilometers (15 miles) and its epicenter is closest to Bahia de Caraquez City, which has more or less 37,000 residents. Quito, Ecuador’s main city, is some 200 kilometers away from the epicenter.
Despite the earthquake, Ecuadorian authorities assured the public that there is no tsunami threat yet. The same authorities said that they are confident that most Ecuadorians are now equipped with knowledge on how to handle a natural disaster such as an earthquake.
Ricardo Penaherrera, a top official working at Ecuador’s agency for risk management, said the country has made giant steps and are much more prepared, unlike past years. He added that Ecuadorian authorities are already assessing the coastal areas for possible damages. Other than shutting off power in some rural areas near the epicenter, Penaherrera said that there are no other reports of major damage as of yet.
Manabi province Governor Fabrico Diaz said the majority of the residents have been inquiring about the quake’s epicenter rather than reporting damages, as told by emergency dispatchers who got around 38 calls already. Meanwhile, Manabi’s ports, dams, and other major highways were unscathed.
Former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, meanwhile, wrote on his twitter account in Spanish and said that the earthquake in San Vicente was strong. He hoped everything is okay.
Fuerte temblor en San Vicente y Bahía. Ojalá todo esté bien.
¡Vamos Manabí!
Acá en Esmeraldas también se sintió fuertemente.
Me recuerda los momentos más duros de mi Presidencia.
¡Ánimo!— Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) December 3, 2017
Ecuador is known to be a country that is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a chain of active volcanoes and world’s active quake hotspots zone.
