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Authorities reported that a powerful earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck Ecuador’s coastal province of Esmeraldas, causing damage to homes, hospitals, and public buildings.
The earthquake struck at 11.28 p.m. on Saturday night at a depth of 10 km and 11.79 km from the city of Esmeraldas, according to the country’s Geophysical Institute, which was quoted by Xinhua on Sunday.
According to preliminary estimates, at least 28 homes were damaged and two were destroyed, as well as three health centres and three public buildings, according to the National Risk and Emergency Management Service.
The quake was felt in 11 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces and caused a power outage in Esmeraldas.
President Guillermo Lasso announced on Twitter that the Esmeraldas Emergency Operations Committee had been activated in response to the strong earthquake to coordinate actions to care for the affected population.