14 dead after earthquake of magnitude 6.8 strikes Ecuador, Peru; several buildings damaged

A powerful quake measuring 6.8 on Richter scale hit Ecuador and Peru on March 19, killing at least 14 people, damaging homes and buildings, and sending panicked citizens into the streets.

Visuals of destroyed buildings, crushed vehicles and debris and damaged roads in cities surfaced online as rescue officials rushed to the lend aid while panicked citizens rushed out of their homes and business establishments to take shelter in safe areas.

As per the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake’s depth was nearly 66 kms that struck at 12:12 local time (1712 GMT).

Authorities reported hat the municipality of Balao in Ecuador, close to the border with Peru, served as its epicenter.
According to reports on social media, the tremor was also felt strongly in other cities like Guayaquil, Quito, Manabi, and Manta.

In a Twitter message, Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso urged people to remain calm and be informed of building damage "through official channels."

Meanwhile, one four-year-old girl was reported dead in Peru after a wall collapsed and fell on her following the quake.

The Risk Management Office of Quito claims that "a deceased person" was left in Cuenca after a house facade collapsed on a vehicle. Old houses in the city's historic center had also been damaged, according to AFP journalists.

Three people were reportedly killed in the nearby province of El Oro when a tower fell and crushed them.
Seismological authorities in Peru initially reported a magnitude of 7.0, but hours later, the magnitude was reduced to 6.7.

"There is no significant damage to the structure or people" in Peru, according to Hernando Tavera, head of the National Seismological Center.
Ecuador's Balao received a magnitude 4.8 first aftershock. There was no tsunami threat, according to the Ecuadorian navy.

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