Earthquakes hit Ecuador
A fresh tremor rattled Ecuador before dawn on April 20, a magnitude-6.1 jolt that sent babies crying and adults pouring into the streets, fearful of yet more damage following a monster earthquake over the weekend.
It was the strongest aftershock yet following the magnitude-7.8 quake that killed more than 500 people.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor was centered offshore, 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of the devastated beach town of Muisne at 3:33 a.m. local time (4:33 a.m. ET).
The National Prosecutors Office put the death toll at 525 — up from a previous official toll of 507 — but officials expected more bodies to be found, with the Defense Department reporting Tuesday that more than 200 people were still missing.
Even as authorities begin to shift their attention to restoring electricity and clearing debris, the earth continued to move. Local seismologists have recorded more than 400 aftershocks, some felt 170 kilometers (105 miles) away in the capital of Quito.
The earthquake on Saturday, April 16, destroyed or damaged about 1,500 buildings, triggered mudslides and left some 20,000 people homeless, the government said. It was the worst temblor in Ecuador since one in 1949 killed more than 5,000 people. (AP)
Find more news-related photo galleries on the Yahoo News Photo Tumblr!
