QUITO: A powerful magnitude 6.7 aftershock early Wednesday rattled Ecuador near the Pacific coast area where a devastating earthquake hit a month ago, knocking out power and scaring still-traumatized residents as they slept but only limited damage was reported, the US Geological Survey said.
The US Geological Survey said Wednesday that the quake’s epicenter was 35 km from the town of Muisne. It struck shortly before 3 a.m. local time and had a shallow depth of 32 km below the earth’s surface.
President Rafael Correa, writing on Twitter, reassured a public still jittery after last month’s quake that “there is no tsunami alert” following this latest earthquake.
The quake was strong enough to trigger a national disaster alert, but Correa deactivated the emergency response a few hours later when local authorities reported the situation was calm.
“Everyone remain calm,” he tweeted, adding that inhabitants of Quito can safely go back inside their homes.
The president said that while some previously ravaged homes suffered more damage, most had already been evacuated and no buildings had collapsed. There were no reports of fatalities and only a few light injuries from people who tripped and fell in the dark, he said. Authorities were working to restore power in affected areas.
The US Geological Survey said Wednesday that the quake’s epicenter was 35 km from the town of Muisne. It struck shortly before 3 a.m. local time and had a shallow depth of 32 km below the earth’s surface.
President Rafael Correa, writing on Twitter, reassured a public still jittery after last month’s quake that “there is no tsunami alert” following this latest earthquake.
The quake was strong enough to trigger a national disaster alert, but Correa deactivated the emergency response a few hours later when local authorities reported the situation was calm.
“Everyone remain calm,” he tweeted, adding that inhabitants of Quito can safely go back inside their homes.
The president said that while some previously ravaged homes suffered more damage, most had already been evacuated and no buildings had collapsed. There were no reports of fatalities and only a few light injuries from people who tripped and fell in the dark, he said. Authorities were working to restore power in affected areas.
