Alwaght- A magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Ecuador's northwest Pacific coast late on Saturday, killing at least 77 and injuring many more others.
Considerable damage has been reported around the epicenter of the strong quake in country's most populous city, Guayaquil.
Ecuador's vice president, Jorge Glas, said in a televised address that a state of emergency was in effect, adding preventive evacuations in coastal areas were underway because of possible tsunami risks.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a threat forecast for some parts of Ecuador, saying waves could reach 1 meter above tide level.
Emergency services reported that people were trapped underneath the rubble of a “collapsed structure” in the coastal city of Guayaquil. Guayaquil is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, with around 2.69 million people in the metropolitan area.
Damage to homes has also been reported in San Antonio and Cadeate on Route Spondylus, as well as in Libertador Bolivar.
In Santo Domingo there is no electricity service. Power outages have also been reported in Loja and Ambato, while in Loja the cell phone service was suspended. In addition, a communication antenna has fallen in El Oro.
Strong shaking was felt in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito for some 40 seconds, according to AP, with people fleeing buildings in panic. Quito airport was evacuated over security concerns.
Some parts of Quito were temporarily left without power and telephone services, with residents using messaging apps for communication.
