Videos shared on social media show people gathering on the streets of Guayaquil and nearby communities
A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Ecuador today, with tremors felt as far away as Guayaquil, Machala, and neighboring Peru, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported.
The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles).
The earthquake, which struck at 12:12 p.m. local time on Saturday, was centered in Azuay Province, about 47 kilometers northwest of Cuenca and 77 kilometers southeast of Guayaquil.
Videos shared on social media show people gathering on the streets of Guayaquil and nearby communities.
There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 and struck about 65 kilometers below the surface.
According to Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute, the earthquake’s magnitude was lower, just at 6.5.