Development StoryThe developed story,
The epicenter of the earthquake is believed to have been near the Pacific coast of the northwest city of Esmeraldas.
According to the European Regional Earthquake Centre (EMSC), an earthquake is struggling near the coast of Ecuador.
The region’s epicenter took place at 6:45am local time (11:45 GMT) – was located near the Pacific coast of the northwest city of Esmeraldas, 30km (18.6 miles) deep. The trembling was reported to Quito, the capital of the country’s ten states.
Images shared online show buildings that have been visibly damaged by the earthquake. Ecuador’s Daily El Comerio Newspaper has reported a power outage at Esmeralda. State energy company Petroecuador said it has suspended operations at Esmeraldas Refinery and Sorted Pipeline as a precaution after the earthquake.
President Daniel Novore said in a social media post that the government is working to set up shelters and provide humanitarian assistance to its residents, and is committed to supporting “all that our people need.”
“The government is with you,” he said.
Authorities say the damaged facility includes a health centre and military building, with its façade partially collapsed.
Some suffered a head wound from a tremor, the country’s emergency services said.
“It was very strong,” former presidential candidate Yak Perez told AFP news agency from the scene. “It felt like eternity, but I think it was less than a minute.”
Imágenes Muestran Varios Daños Sufridos Por Algunas Edificaciones en #Esmeraldas – #ecuador. esto luego de un sismo de 6.0 #temblor pic.twitter.com/nrqwec0mts
– EcuadorComunicación🛜siempreMásNoticias (@ecuadorprensaec) April 25, 2025
Past earthquakes
Ecuador has a long and painful history of earthquake disasters.
In 2013, the earthquake rattled north Peru and southern Ecuador killed at least 14 people and destroyed homes, schools and clinics.
Three years later, in 2016, Ecuador’s strongest, devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake since 1979 killed at least 77 people and injured more than 500 people.
The country is located along the “Ring of Fire” of the Pacific Ocean, a volatile zone of earthquakes and volcanic activity that surrounds the ocean.
Ecuador spans the boundary where Nazca meets the South American tectonic plates. It is two huge sections of the Earth’s crust that crush each other, travelling at an average speed of about 65 mm (2.5 inches) per year.
