A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck the border region of Ecuador and Peru on February 22, 2019, unleashing terror and chaos across the Andean countries. The deadly tremor has claimed the lives of at least 13 people and left scores injured as it destroyed homes, buildings, and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power lines. The earthquake also triggered mass panic among residents, who ran into the streets with fear and uncertainty amid the aftershocks that continued for several hours. In this article, we delve into the details of the disaster, its impact on the affected areas, and the response of the authorities and international community.
At least 12 people have died and several more are injured as a result of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second-largest city, on Saturday 18 March 2023. The tremor was also felt further afield, with a 4-year-old girl losing her life in northern Peru after her home’s roof caved in. The quake was centred around 50 miles (80km) south of Guayaquil, with reports of objects falling inside residents’ homes and panicked people flooding onto the streets in the aftermath.
Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso has urged calm, and announced on Twitter that the disaster had claimed the lives of 12 people. Further reports indicated that a passenger in a vehicle trapped under a collapsed house had also perished in the Andean community of Cuenca. Meanwhile, Ecuador’s Risk Management Secretariat confirmed that 11 of the victims had died in the coastal state of El Oro.
In the community of Machala, several people were trapped when a two-story house collapsed. A pier in the same locality also sank. The rescue work was complicated by the snaps of power lines, alongside telephone and electricity blackouts. A short clip online showed three incognito TV presenters scrambling from their studio desks as the surroundings began to judder. One announcer suggested an emergency commercial break, while another kept repeating the phrase “My God, my God.”
Fortunately, the Adverse Events Monitoring Directorate ruled out any possibility of a tsunami in Ecuador following the seismic activity. Yet, the country has a notorious record for earthquakes: a quivering centred in a less-populated area of the Pacific coast in 2016 resulted in more than 600 fatalities.
By and large, Ecuador’s Risk Management Secretary, Cristian Torres, urged the public to remain vigilant as more aftershocks reverberated across the area. He highlighted the significance of people to “conduct themselves appropriately, follow instructions, and stay alert.”
The earthquake in Ecuador is a distressing reminder of the unpredictability of natural disasters, particularly earthquakes. It is of vital importance that those living in regions that are particularly prone to seismic activity, such as Ecuador, have the necessary measures in place to protect themselves and their loved ones, and that they are informed and prepared for possible emergencies.
