The death toll from Saturday’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador has risen to at least 16 people.
The government has released new information about the deadly earthquake in Ecuador that struck six miles from the Ecuadorian city of Baláo on Saturday afternoon in the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, and Azuay.
According to officials, one victim in Azuay was inside their vehicle when a wall fell on it, killing them, and three victims in El Oro were killed by a falling security tower. Three more people were killed in Santa Rosa.
11 died following earthquake in Ecuador
According to CNN, at least 11 people died in El Oro and one in the province of Azuay.
“They are not alone, we understand the anguish that this has generated for the Ecuadorian family,” President Guillermo Lasso said of the victims and their families in a statement.
“I want to share with you that the government is with them and that they are working quickly and effectively to attend to them.”
Lasso said the government will make resources from all of its ministries including health, transportation, and public works available to assess the damage. Among the damage to public and private buildings, there is damage to 14 schools and the Teófilo Dávila Hospital in El Oro.
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According to Ecuador’s Risk Management Secretariat, structural damage has occurred in Machala, Baláo, Santa Rosa, Cuenca, and other cities. Several people were trapped inside a collapsed building in Baláo. They were not rescued, according to the office.
US Geological Survey
The US Geological Survey has issued an orange alert for Baláo, Naranjal, Machala, Puerto Bolivar, Pasaje, and Santa Rosa, indicating potential “shaking-related” fatalities.
According to the agency, events of this magnitude have previously necessitated regional and national-level responses. The combined population of these cities is estimated to be more than 337,000 people.
