Magnitude 6,5 earthquake leaves dead in Ecuador and Peru

O earthquake was felt most strongly in the south of Equador, where people ran into the streets. One of the most affected cities was Cuenca. Nearby, in the province of El Oro, three people died when a tower fell, according to Ecuador's Risk Management Secretariat.

The Ecuadorian president, William Lasso, traveled to El Oro, where he visited the injured in a hospital, and then will go to Azuay. “I just finished the visit to the city of Machala (…) and ratified the government’s support, the provision of resources,” Lasso said in a video on Twitter.

The earthquake left buildings collapsed, walls cracked and vehicles crushed by debris. In the historic center of Cuenca, there was damage to some old houses. Some roads near the municipality were blocked by landslides. Other cities also felt the tremor, such as Quito, Manabí and Manta, according to users on social media.

With less intensity, the earthquake hit the north and central coast of Peru. In Tumbes, it affected 46 people and 12 houses, according to an official report. The country's seismological authorities reported a magnitude of 7,0 at the time of the quake, but hours later corrected the measurement to 6,7.

The memory of the devastating 2016 earthquake remains in the air in Equador. With a magnitude of 7,8, the earthquake left 673 people dead and destroyed coastal locations, with losses close to 3,3 billion dollars.

(With AFP)

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