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Second earthquake hits Ecuador

Jo Harper (Reuters, AFP, AP)April 20, 2016

A second earthquake has struck near the coast of Ecuador. It comes as the country is clearing up, mourning and counting the cost of another huge quake just four days earlier.

https://p.dw.com/p/1IYwr
Rescue team members and policemen search for victims at a collapsed hotel (L) after an earthquake struck off the Pacific coast in Pedernales, Ecuador, April 19
Rescue team members and policemen search for victims at a collapsed hotel (L) after an earthquake struck off the Pacific coast in Pedernales, Ecuador, April 19Image: Reuters/H. Romero

The epicenter of the 6.2-magnitude quake, which struck at 3.33 local time (8:33 GMT) at a depth of 15.7 kilometers (9.8 miles), was located 25 kilometers west of Muisne and 73 kilometers west-southwest of Propicia, the US Geological Survey said.

This is not far from the epicenter of Saturday's 7.8 magnitude quake, where ongoing rescue efforts had to be curtailed temporarily.

Saturday's 7.8 magnitude quake's death toll stood at 525 on Wednesday - up from a previous official toll of 507 - but officials expect more bodies to be found, with the Defense Department reporting Tuesday that more than 200 people were still missing. Over 4,600 were also injured.

Ecuador: The search for survivors continues

The department said 435 of the dead were found in the Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales areas. The office said on its official Twitter account Wednesday that there were at least 11 foreigners among the dead.

President Rafael Correa has said the weekend quake inflicted $2 billion to $3 billion of damage to the oil-dependent economy and could knock 2 to 3 percentage points off growth.

A resident stands on a collapsed bridge after an earthquake struck off the Pacific coast, in Portoviejo, Ecuador, April 18
A resident stands on a collapsed bridge after an earthquake struck off the Pacific coast, in Portoviejo, Ecuador, April 18Image: Reuters/H. Romero
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