Early Saturday morning in Japan, a powerful earthquake rocked the country with a 7.3-magnitude reading. Internet viewers continued to take in the drone videos of destruction as the country started to dig its way out of the rubble. Late on Saturday night, Ecuador felt a quake that was (by preliminary readings) even more powerful. The above photo shows residents outside a clinic in nearby Colombia, which was also rocked by the quake and should speak volumes to the intensity of this catastrophe. Photos from Ecuador’s capital of Quito show some of the worst devastation.
Puente colapsado en Av de las Américas, tomar precauciones. @BomberosGYE atendiendo emergencias. pic.twitter.com/upQRYo2TUU
— Bomberos Guayaquil (@BomberosGYE) April 17, 2016
Esto pasó en #SanMarino #CentroComercial Pilas a todos en #Guayaquil Ojalá estén bien. #Terremoto #Sismos #Ecuador pic.twitter.com/F52uZVXDeB
— Juan Manuel Castro (@erdomenj) April 17, 2016
CNN reports the death toll at 41 and rising, and this quake arrives with a preliminary 7.8 magnitude reading, which was reportedly strong enough to not only cut off power but also knock down buildings and bridges. Vice President Jorge Glas issued a state of warning for six provinces, but he told residents that Ecuadorian coastal areas should be safe because — surprisingly — no tsunami alert is in effect for the area. However, nearby Peru is still on tsunami alert.
Throughout the country, the National Guard was mobilized to survey the damage and search for victims. The destruction appears to be highest in Quito where the BBC spoke to residents who were “in a state of panic” after the earthquake struck 11.9 miles below the earth’s surface.
These videos show an eerie setting as shopping malls in Quito shake and rattle as the vibrations roll.