Ecuador quake leaves 350 killed, 2,500 others injured
The death toll from the recent powerful earthquake in Ecuador has risen to 350, with rescue teams searching through rubble for survivors.
"Sadly we have to inform you that there are about 350 people killed. The number of people injured has also risen" from an earlier toll of 2,068, Security Minister Cesar Navas said on television.
The epicenter of which was the town of Pedernales, located some 300 kilometers away from the capital, Quito.
Pedernales Mayor Gabriel Alcivar said some 400 people are feared dead as the “entire town” had been flattened.
"Pedernales is devastated. Buildings have fallen down, especially hotels where there are lots of tourists staying. There are lots of dead bodies," he added.
The South American country’s Geophysics Institute said some 230 aftershocks have been recorded as of Sunday night, ranging in magnitude from 3.5 to 6.1 on the Richter scale.
Foreign Minister Guillaume Long said on Twitter that experienced rescuers had arrived from Spain, Switzerland and a number of Latin American countries such as Mexico and Peru to help with the rescue operation.
In Portoviejo city, the quake knocked down walls of a prison, allowing about 100 prisoners to escape. According to Justice Minister Ledy Zuniga, a number of inmates were arrested or returned but police were looking for the rest.
"These are extremely difficult times, the biggest tragedy in the last 67 years," the president said, referring to the 1949 earthquake that hit the city of Ambato and killed 5,000 people.
A state of emergency has been declared in the country and as many as 10,000 troops and 3,500 police officers have been sent to the affected areas.
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