Highlights
238 people dead, 1,557 injured, 370 buildings destroyed and 151 buildings damaged.
A state of emergency has been declared for six provinces - Manabí, Esmeraldas, Santa Elena,
Guayas, Santo Domingo and Los Ríos. Manabí is the most affected.Pedernales, in Manabí (population around 55,000 – 2010 census) was declared a "disaster zone" and access is difficult due to infrastructure damage.
A 13-member UNDAC team is arriving today, 17 April to assist coordination and needs evaluation.
International Search and Rescue teams also being mobilised.
UNOSAT charter services have been activated.
The Government of Ecuador has asked PAHO/WHO for assistance. A team of emergency experts are deploying 17 April.
Situation Overview
A 7.8 earthquake (Richter scale) hit Northern Ecuador at 18:58 local time, Saturday 16 April 2016. The epicentre was 27 kilometres from the small coastal town of Muisne (west of the Province of Esmeraldas), with a depth of 20 kilometres.
The worst damage was reported in the village of Pedernales, population 55,000 which was declared a "disaster zone". Access has been limited due to damages to infrastructure.
The Government declared a “State of Exception” for 6 provinces: Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, Santo Domingo and Los Ríos. Authorities report 238 dead (85 per cent in the province of Manabí), 1,557 injured and many buildings and roads destroyed or damaged.
Eight shelters have been established: three in Esmeraldas, three in Babahoyo, two in Guayas, one in Santo Domingo, one in Portoviejo and one in Quito.
Local search and rescue teams are carrying out operations and the number of people affected and dead may increase in the following hours. Authorities have mobilized 537 experts to respond to the emergency and have another 6,571 on standby. Specialized search and rescue teams are arriving from Venezuela today and teams from Colombia, Chile and Mexico are on standby.
In the Province of Manabí, only 4 percent of electricity is functional.
Oil refineries are functioning, although some were tempororarily halted as a precautionary measure and access to fuel services is normal.