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Massive earthquake jolts Ecuador, rescue operations on

In Manta, the airport was closed after the control tower collapsed, injuring an air force official.

By :  amrit sadhana
Update: 2016-04-17 07:09 GMT
Survivors were shaken again late on Thursday night when a powerful 6.0 magnitude quake struck off Ecuador's coast about 100 km (62 miles) north-northwest of Portoviejo and at a depth of 10 km (six miles). (Photo: AP)
Police patrolled the dark town, where power remained off, while some rescuers plowed on.
About 91 people died in Pedernales and some 60 percent of houses were destroyed, according to Police Chief General Milton Zarate.
As darkness set in and rain began, survivors bundled up to spend the night next to their destroyed homes.
The quake has piled pain on the economy of OPEC's smallest member, already reeling from low oil prices, with economic growth this year projected at near-zero.
Authorities said there were more than 160 aftershocks, mainly in the Pedernales area.
Authorities said there were more than 160 aftershocks, mainly in the Pedernales area.
Coastal areas nearest the epicenter were hit hardest, especially Pedernales, a rustic tourist spot with beaches and palm trees now laden with debris from pastel-colored houses.
Coastal areas nearest the epicenter were hit hardest, especially Pedernales, a rustic tourist spot with beaches and palm trees now laden with debris from pastel-colored houses.
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck off the Pacific coast on Saturday and was felt around the Andean nation of 16 million people, causing panic as far away as the highland capital Quito and destroying buildings, bridges and roads.
The death toll from Ecuador's biggest earthquake in decades soared to 262 on Sunday as survivors cobbled together makeshift coffins to bury loved ones, lined up for water and sought shelter beside the rubble of their shattered homes
Hydroelectric dams and oil pipelines in the OPEC-member nation were shut down as a precautionary measure.
The quake was felt across the border in Colombia, where it shook residents in Cali and Popayan, and Peru briefly issued a tsunami.
Autombiles travel on a darkened street after the failure of electrical services. Parts of the capital were without power or telephone service, with many communicating only via WhatsApp.
An emergency had been declared in six of Ecuador's 24 provinces, while sporting events and concerts were cancelled until further notice nationwide.
In Manta, the airport was closed after the control tower collapsed, injuring an air force official.
On social media residents shared photos of homes collapsed, the roof of a shopping center coming apart and supermarket shelves shaking violently.
Among those killed was the driver of a car crushed by an overpass that buckled in Guayaquil, the country's most populous city.
While the government hadn't issued a tsunami alert, Glas urged residents along the coast to move to higher ground and towns near the epicenter were also being evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The US Geological Survey said the shallow quake, the strongest since 1979 to hit Ecuador, was centered 27 kilometers (16 miles) south-southeast of Muisne, a sparsely populated area of fishing ports that's popular with tourists.
In Manta, the airport was closed after the control tower collapsed, injuring an air force official.

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