QUITO, Ecuador—At least 14 people were killed in an earthquake that shook a coastal region of Ecuador and northern Peru on March 18, causing structural damage to multiple homes, schools, and medical centers.
The quake, which according to the U.S. Geological Survey was centered near the city of Balao in the province of Guayas, had a magnitude of 6.8 and struck at a depth of 66.4 km (41.3 miles).
The earthquake didn’t appear likely to generate a tsunami, authorities said.
“We remain in the territory verifying the damage caused by the earthquake this morning. I want to confirm that I am with you and express my solidarity and commitment to the victims,” Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso wrote on Twitter.
The presidency’s communication agency said the quake killed 14 people and injured more than 380, largely in the El Oro province.
The agency said that at least 44 homes were destroyed and 90 more were damaged. About 50 educational buildings and more than 30 health centers were also affected, while multiple roadways were blocked by landslides caused by the earthquake. The Santa Rosa airport suffered minor damage but remained in operation.
Ecuador’s Secretariat of Risk Management stated earlier that one death in Azuay Province occurred when a wall collapsed onto a vehicle. In other provinces, structural damage included a collapsed wharf and a fallen wall in a supermarket.
State-run oil company Petroecuador evacuated and suspended activities in multiple facilities out of precaution but hadn’t reported damage, the agency said.
“We all ran out into the streets. ... We were very scared,” Ernesto Alvarado, a resident of Isla Puna, near the epicenter, told Reuters. He also said that some homes had collapsed.
The initial quake was followed by two weaker aftershocks in the following hour, according to the Geophysics Institute of Ecuador.
Peruvian authorities said the quake was felt in the country’s northern region, but there were no immediate reports of harm to people or structures.
