Earthquake jolts southeast Ecuador

A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale has hit southeast Ecuador causing chaos, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage.

Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute said the earthquake occurred at 6:20 a.m. local time (1120 GMT) in Guayaquil, Guayas Province, at a depth of 71 kilometers (44 miles).

Ecuador’s jolt follows just three days after a devastating 7.8-magnitude quake hit Nepal, where more than 5,000 people have so far been reported dead. The quake in the Asian country has also caused heavy material damage in the capital, Kathmandu, and its rural areas.

Earthquakes measuring over 5.5-magnitude are quite frequent and often cause damage to buildings and other structures. Temblors measuring from 7.0 to 7.9 on the Richter scale are considered major earthquakes, causing serious damage. They are not very frequent. Quakes of an 8.0-Richter magnitude can totally destroy communities near the epicenter and occur once every 5 to 10 years.

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