6.3 magnitude quake in Ecuador injures 32, damages over 800 buildings

Ecuador: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Ecuadorian port city of Esmeraldas early on Friday, injuring more than 30 people, damaging over 800 buildings, and triggering widespread power and communication outages across the region.

According to Ecuador's emergency response agency, the tremor left at least 32 people injured, destroyed 179 homes, and damaged a further 716. The quake, which struck just off the coast at a depth of approximately 35 kilometres shortly before 7:00 am local time (1200 GMT), was felt as far away as the capital, Quito.

Local fisherman Andrés Mafare, 36, described the terrifying moment as he made his way to the port. “I ran like crazy, and when I got here saw that my house had been destroyed,” he told AFP, recalling the loud crack and shaking cables that preceded the quake.

An AFP reporter on the ground witnessed significant destruction, including collapsed walls, crumbled facades blocking roads, and visibly cracked buildings. Residents were seen gathering in the streets, surveying the damage and navigating piles of debris.

“It was very strong,” said former presidential candidate Yaku Pérez, who was present at the scene. “It felt like an eternity, but I guess it was less than a minute.”

Authorities reported damage to four healthcare centres, 18 schools, a military building, two roads, and a bridge. Around 80 per cent of homes in the area experienced power or phone outages.

Operations at the Esmeraldas refinery and a nearby pipeline were temporarily halted by national oil company Petroecuador. The refinery processes 111,000 barrels of oil per day, while the Transecuadorian Pipeline System transports 360,000 barrels daily.

President Daniel Noboa, recently re-elected, announced the immediate deployment of ministers to coordinate humanitarian aid and emergency shelter efforts. “The government is with you, and that's how it will be going forward,” he stated via social media.

The quake occurred in one of the most geologically active regions on the planet, where the Nazca and South American tectonic plates converge. According to Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute, their movement—measured at 5.6 centimetres per year—is responsible for the most significant seismic activity in the country.

The tremor was reported in 10 of Ecuador's 24 provinces, including Manabí, Los Ríos, Guayas and Pichincha. Despite its reach, there have been no reports of injuries in neighbouring Colombia, and Ecuadorian authorities have confirmed there is no tsunami risk.

The incident comes just a week after Ecuador marked the anniversary of the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake of 2016, which killed 673 people and injured over 6,000—many of them along the same coastal stretch now once again rocked by seismic tragedy.