A magnitude-7.8 earthquak rocks Ecuador’s coast Saturday. At least 41 people dead. Buildings shake in 100 miles away and collapsing an overpass.
The temblor hit just before 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET) with an epicenter 16 miles southeast of Muisne city, located on the country’s northwestern coast, the U.S. National Geological Survey said. The quake was recorded at a depth of about 12 miles.
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The quake was strongly felt in country’s capital of Quito, around 100 miles away.
Japanese rescuers were digging through the rubble of buildings and mud on Saturday to reach dozens believed trapped after a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck a southern island, killing at least 32 people and injuring about a thousand.
The shallow earthquake hit in the early hours, sending people fleeing from their beds on to dark streets, and followed a 6.4 magnitude quake on Thursday which killed nine people in the area. Rain and cold were forecast overnight, adding extra urgency to the rescue effort.
Television footage showed fires, power outages, collapsed bridges, a severed road hanging over a ravine and gaping holes in the earth. Residents near a dam were told to leave because of fears it might crumble, public broadcaster NHK said.
The National Police Agency said 32 people were confirmed dead. The government said about 190 of those injured were in serious condition.
