At least 16 dead after magnitude 6.8 earthquake shakes Ecuador | CNN

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At least 16 People died After an intensification A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Ecuador on Saturday afternoon, according to government officials.

The quake struck near the southern town of Balao and had a depth of more than 65 kilometers (about 41 miles). According to United States Geological Survey.

An estimated 381 people were injured in the earthquake, the General Secretariat of Communication of Ecuador’s presidency tweeted on its official account.

At least 11 people were killed in El Oro province. At least one more death was reported in Azuay province, according to Ecuador’s presidential communications department. In an earlier statement, authorities said one person was killed in Azuay when a wall fell on a car and at least three of the victims in El Oro died when a security camera tower came down.

The presidency added that the injured were being treated in hospitals, but did not provide further details.

The USGS called the earthquake a “Orange Alert,” “Significant casualties are likely and devastation is potentially widespread,” it said.

“Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national response,” the USGS added. It also assessed the damage and economic loss.

Relatives of a CNN producer in the western port city of Guaquil He said he felt “very strong” tremors.

Associated with CNN Ecuavisa Structural damage was reported to buildings in Cuenca, one of the country’s largest cities. This historic city is included in the United Nations World Heritage List.

According to officials, there is no tsunami warning in the area. US National Weather Service.

Airports in Guayaquil and Cuenca remained open and operational, the country’s statement said.