No tsunami threat after strong quake that jolted Peru, Ecuador

(Philstar.com)

March 19, 2023 - 2:07pm

View of a destroyed car after the cornice and terrace of a building located in Cuenca's historic center fell, leaving one dead and one person injured, after an earthquake in Cuenca, Ecuador on March 18, 2023. Four dead in southern Ecuador and damage to buildings after an earthquake with an epicenter in that country, which reached its neighbor Peru, according to a preliminary balance of authorities. The earthquake of magnitude 6.5 in Ecuador and 7.0 in Peru was recorded at 12:12 local time (17:12 GMT) in the Ecuadorian municipality of Balao, about 140 kilometers from the port of Guayaquil, and at a depth of 44 kilometers, authorities reported.

AFP / Fernando Machado

MANILA, Philippines — There is no tsunami threat to the country following 6.9-magnitude quake that jolted Peru and Ecuador early Sunday morning (Philippine time), state seismologists said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake had a depth of 75 kilometers and it hit near the coast of Ecuador at 1:12 a.m. (PST).

“No destructive tsunami threat exists based on available data,” it added in an advisory.

At least 14 people were killed, several were wounded and buildings were damaged following the earthquake.

Its epicenter was in the Ecuadoran municipality of Balao, near the border with Peru, authorities said.

Ecuador's presidency reported 13 dead -- 11 in the province of El Oro and two in the province of Azuay.

The tremor was also strongly felt in other cities including Guayaquil, Quito, Manabi and Manta, social media reports said.

Ecuador's presidency reported that "there are injured people who are being treated promptly in hospitals," but did not provide any figures .— with reports from Agence France Presse

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