A massive earthquake hits Ecuador and Peru

On Saturday, 18 March 2023, a powerful earthquake shook the south of Ecuador and Peru. According to the American seismological institute (USGS), its magnitude reached 6.8 on the Richter scale. The Ecuadorian authorities estimated it at 6.5 and those of Peru at 6.7.

The epicenter of the earthquake is located in the town of Balao, in the south of Guayas, Ecuador, near the provinces of Azuay and El Oro. The tremor was felt all the way to Quito.

The provisional toll stands at 14 deaths, 13 in Ecuador and a four-year-old girl in Peru.