Strong earthquake of magnitude 6.7 shakes Ecuador near the coast

A strong tremor struck off the coast of Ecuador around 1 p.m. Saturday. The United States Geological Survey reported that the quake had a magnitude of 6.7 on the Richter scale.

The Geophysical Institute of Ecuador reported that the epicenter of the earthquake occurred about 29 kilometers from Balao in the Guayas region. It is located about 80 kilometers south of Guayaquil, the second largest city in Ecuador.

No tsunami watch or warning was reported for the area. At this time, there are no known injuries or significant damage.

“I have contacted the Secretariat for Risk Management to evaluate the effects produced by (the) earthquake that occurred a moment ago in Balao, Guayas. I call for calm and information through official channels,” said Guillermo Lasso, president of Ecuador, in their social networks.

After the telluric movement, users of the social network Twitter reported images that gave an account of the magnitude of the natural phenomenon. The main effects, so far, correspond to cities such as Guayaquil, Cuenca and Machala, in southern Ecuador.

The shared videos show the fear that hundreds of people experienced in their attempt to escape from buildings and houses at noon on Saturday. In addition, the force of the movement and its effects.

People reported objects falling into their homes in Guayaquil, which anchors an urban area of ​​more than 3 million people some 270 kilometers southwest of the capital Quito.

The quake was also felt in northern Peru.

[Con información de The Associated Press]

News in development

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