Breaking: Ecuador Coastal Area Hit by 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake

Tragedy has struck the South American countries of Ecuador and Peru, as they were hit by a powerful earthquake that has claimed at least 15 lives so far.

The magnitude-6.8 earthquake caused tremendous damage to infrastructure and homes, leaving many homeless and in disarray. Experts have warned that the aftershocks may last for days, and the impact of this natural disaster will be felt for years to come. In this post, we will provide an overview of the extent of the damage caused by this earthquake, the response efforts underway, and the potential long-term effects on these communities. We will also explore any lessons that can be learned from this tragedy, and what we can do to support those affected. Join us in examining this catastrophic event with diligence and compassion.

Photo by Mauricio Muñoz on Unsplash

SYNOPSIS

On Sunday, a group of residents watched over the coffins of three women who died when the block and wood house where they were staying collapsed in a fishing village on the Ecuadorian coast shaken by the powerful earthquake the day before. The earthquake caused at least 14 deaths, 126 injuries, and structural damage in several cities, according to preliminary reports from the authorities. The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, announced that he would move to a province affected by an earthquake. The US Geological Survey reported an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 in the coastal region of Guayas, 80 kilometers south of Guayaquil. Buildings and houses were reported to be cracked, glass is broken, some walls fell, and shops closed for fear of aftershocks.

Videos of partially collapsed houses in Cuenca and Machala were published on social networks. The earthquake occurred at 12:53 p.m. (17:53 GMT) in an area located near Puná Island with a very low population density and was felt in northern Peru. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Ecuador left 14 people and a girl dead, as well as hundreds injured, around 180 houses affected, and numerous buildings collapsed. The quake was centered on the Pacific coast, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city.

Three coffins were placed under a tent on a street in Puerto Bolvar, in the city of Machala, El Oro Province, where most of the deaths occurred. The leader of a neighborhood in Machala, René Carrasco, called for help from the state and political parties, while Luis Becerra from Machala expressed fear and mourning. The government declared an emergency on the roads in the province of Azuay, in the southern highlands of Ecuador, which resulted in 13 blockades due to the earthquake and previously had problems caused by the harsh winter. The architect and builder from Quito, Germán Narváez, told the AP that the houses most affected during the seismic movements are those with poor construction, lacking foundations, structure, and technical design, and were built with materials such as adobe (earth bricks and straw). Machala student Katherine Cruz said her house shook so hard she couldn't stand up to leave her room and run into the street, and dozens of people arrived who had lost their homes.

Ecuador is prone to earthquakes, and in 2016, an earthquake with an epicenter further north on the Pacific coast left more than 600 dead. The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) reported that the strong earthquake reached a magnitude of 7 in Peruvian territory and that a first aftershock of magnitude 4.1 was felt ten minutes later in the Peruvian region of Tumbes. Peruvian media showed images of the moment of the earthquake in Tumbes, where some material damage was reported, such as the fall of a watchtower of an old military barracks. Ecuador and Peru are located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of extensive telluric activity that extends along the west coast of the American continent. Ecuador will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake of April 16, 2016, which left 670 dead, thousands affected, and the material losses of millions. The earthquake hit the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manab, but also affected other areas and was felt strongly in the Ecuadorian capital, Quito.

Introduction

In a fishing village on the Ecuadorian coast that had been shaken by the powerful earthquake the day before, which left the Andean country in ruins, 14 dead, and one victim in the neighboring Peruvian country, a group of locals stood guard over the coffins of three women who died crushed when the block and wood house where they were staying collapsed.

According to early reports from the authorities, a strong earthquake that shook the coastal region of southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday caused at least 14 fatalities, 126 injuries, and structural damage in several cities.

11 fatalities were reported by the Risk Management Secretariat in the Machala-capitalized coastal province of El Oro. The walls and columns of a bank building cracked, trapping an undetermined number of people, and some houses collapsed and a pier was destroyed in that area, he noted.

Earthquake kills at least 15 in Ecuador and Peru, causes wide damage

Image Credit IRIS: https://bit.ly/3n50Lw1

Guillermo Lasso, the president of Ecuador, declared that he would relocate to an earthquake-affected region. In the Andean province of Azuay, two people passed away, one of them in Cuenca. A brick to the head killed a four-year-old girl in Peru. Eighty kilometers south of Guayaquil, in the coastal region of Guayas, the US Geological Survey reported a 6.8 magnitude earthquake. Glass was reportedly broken, some walls were reported to have fallen, and businesses were closed out of fear of aftershocks.

Three road tunnels that allow vehicles to travel between different areas of Guayaquil have also been closed by authorities. Social media sites posted videos of houses in Cuenca and Machala that partially collapsed after one of their piers sank as a result of the earthquake.

In a region close to Puná Island with a very low population density, the earthquake struck at 12:53 p.m. (17:53 GMT), and it was felt in northern Peru.

We escaped into the streets because the situation was so unpleasant. Puná, an island in Ecuador, is home to Ernesto Alvarado, who told Reuters, "We were very scared; we are close to the epicenter; the scare was great.

Three Petroecuador facilities—Terminal Pascuales, the LNG plant, and Terminal 3 Bocas—were evacuated as a result of the tragedy, according to the Risk Management Secretariat. In Puerto Bolivar, in the city of Machala, El Oro Province, where the majority of the fatalities took place, three caskets were positioned beneath a tent on a street. The three women's relatives took two additional dead children to be buried in another Machala neighborhood. Glass and other wreckage can still be seen in the streets of the city with coasts that face the Pacific.

Image Credit IRIS: https://bit.ly/3n50Lw1

The Ecuadorian earthquake of magnitude 6.8 claimed the lives of 14 people, including a girl, injured hundreds, damaged 180 homes, and brought down several structures. René Carrasco, the neighborhood chief of Machala, appealed to the government and political parties for assistance, while Machala resident Luis Becerra expressed grief and fear. In the southern highlands of Ecuador, in the province of Azuay, where there were 13 blockades as a result of the earthquake and prior issues brought on by the harsh winter, the government declared an emergency on the roads.

"Earthquake in Ecuador: the EU's emergency response" by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Hamilton Cedillo, who resides in Machala's downtown, assured the Associated Press that they have decided on an evacuation plan and are viewing videos on how to be safe from an earthquake. About 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city, the earthquake's epicenter was on the Pacific coast. According to the Geophysical Institute of Peru, a second 4.2-magnitude earthquake was felt several hours later. The houses with poor construction, lacking foundations, structure, and technical design are those that are most affected by seismic movements, according to the architect and builder from Quito Germán Narváez.

He continued by pointing out that these structures are also ancient and were constructed using components like adobe (earthen bricks and straw), which are typical of older parts of Andean and Ecuadorian cities. They frequently collapse during earthquakes, he observed.

Katherine Cruz, a student from Machala, reported that she was unable to get out of bed and run outside because the house shook so violently. "I had never felt anything like this in my life; it was awful," the narrator said.

Numerous people had lost their homes or were unable to occupy them because of the unstable conditions in which they were left after the tremor arrived at the Puerto Bolvar shelter that the government had set up on Saturday night.

Eruptions are more likely to occur in Ecuador. More than 600 people lost their lives in an earthquake that occurred in the country in 2016 with an epicenter farther north on the Pacific coast, in a sparsely populated area.

The strong earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7, was felt in Peruvian territory, according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP), and ten minutes later, the Peruvian region of Tumbes felt the first aftershock, which registered a magnitude of 4.1. The possibility of a tsunami being caused by the earthquake was disregarded by Peru's National Seismological Center. Images from the Tumbes earthquake, which caused some material damage like the collapse of a watchtower at an old military barracks, were broadcast by Peruvian media at the time. As a precaution, people immediately took to the streets, and others posted on social media that the quake was also felt in the areas of La Libertad and Ncash.

BELT OF FIRE

The so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of intense telluric activity that stretches along the west coast of the American continent, is where Ecuador and Peru are situated.

In addition to these nations, the Belt—which has the shape of a horseshoe—also includes Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Ecuador will mark the seventh anniversary of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the country on April 16, 2016, leaving 670 people dead, thousands of people injured, and millions of dollars in material losses. Esmeraldas and Manab provinces were struck by the earthquake, but it also had a significant impact elsewhere and was felt strongly in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Conclusion

The devastating earthquake in Ecuador and Peru has left behind a trail of destruction and loss of life. As we witness the ongoing struggle of those affected to find shelter and relief, it becomes evident that preparedness and disaster response is crucial in the face of natural calamities. Our hearts go out to the victims, and we must do our part in supporting relief efforts in any way we can. Amidst the chaos, we must also remember the resilience and strength of these communities, who will undoubtedly rise above this tragedy and rebuild their lives once again. Let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

Buy traffic for your website