ON SATURDAY NIGHT, A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Ecuador’s coastal northwest. It has been the largest earthquake in Ecuador in decades, and has killed, as of this writing, upwards of 350 people. More than 2,500 people have been injured, and thousands have been left homeless.
The quake hit hardest in Manabi province, on the coast, and hit the cities of Manta, Pedernales, and Portoviejo the worst, but it has been felt throughout the country, with around 230 aftershocks being recorded since the initial earthquake. As of right now, a massive effort is under way to help people in affected areas, which has been made difficult by the lack of communication with some of the mountain towns affected, and because of recent water damage to the roads. The Ecuador branch of the Red Cross is actively working to save people trapped under the rubble, and the Ecuadorian police force and army have constructed mobile hospitals in the worst-affected towns.