A powerful earthquake killed at least 77 people, injured hundreds
more, ravaged coastal towns and sent residents fleeing for higher ground
in Ecuador on Saturday night April 16,2016
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Ecuador`s Pacific
coast and was felt hundreds of miles (km) away in the capital of Quito
as well as in the large commercial city of Guayaquil, where rubble lay
strewn in the streets and some buildings were cracked or partially
collapsed.
The earthquake was Ecuador`s worst in decades and officials said the
death toll was likely to rise even higher as rescue teams headed into
the hardest-hit areas.
The government described it as the worst quake in the country since 1979, when 600 people were killed and 20,000 injured
A state of emergency was declared in six provinces.
The areas worst affected include Pedernales, which draws tourists
with beaches lined with palm-trees and tropical thatch-hut restaurants,
as well as nearby Cojimies.
President Rafael Correa declared a national emergency and cut short a trip to the Vatican to coordinate the rescue efforts.
"Everything can be rebuilt, but lost lives cannot be recovered, and
that`s what hurts the most," he told Ecuador`s state television channel
from Rome.
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