Earthquake in Ecuador: Search dogs deployed to find people

(Baonghean.vn) - The latest death toll from the earthquake in Ecuador on April 16 has reached 262 people. This is the largest earthquake in Ecuador in the past decade with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. The earthquake occurred off the Pacific coast and affected about 16 million people in the Andean countries.

Scene of devastation after the earthquake in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa had to interrupt his trip to Italy to immediately fly back home to directly manage the emergency situation.

He said the biggest priority now was to rescue those still trapped under the rubble. “Everything can be rebuilt except human lives,” Correa told national radio. “This is the greatest pain we are experiencing.”

According to the latest statistics from the Ecuadorian government, 262 people have been killed and 2,500 others injured by the earthquake on Saturday night. The coastal areas near the epicenter were the most damaged, especially Pedernales, a popular tourist destination in Ecuador.

Police officers and sniffer dogs were deployed to search for people buried in the rubble.

Local authorities said there were more than 160 aftershocks, mostly in the area around Pedernales. Ecuador has declared a state of emergency in six provinces.

The earthquake not only caused pain and loss of life and property, it also dealt a heavy blow to Ecuador's economy, which was already struggling due to the price of oil. The sharp drop in world oil prices has caused Ecuador's economic growth rate this year to be forecast to be almost zero.

Rescue efforts are still underway in Ecuador. About 13,500 security personnel and sniffer dogs have been deployed to help with rescue efforts and maintain order. $600 million in multilateral funding has been authorized for emergency use.

Thanh Hien

(According to Reuters)