New earthquake in Ecuador, HI staff on alert

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake affected the coastal regions of Manabi and Esmeraldas, already hardly hit by the earthquake of April 17^th, 2016 which killed almost 700 people and hurt more than 6000, and led to 30 000 people in need of an emergency shelter.

Building of Pedernales destroyed by the earthquake, April 2016 | (c) Pierre Trouche / Handicap International

HI teams, present in Ecuador and in the bordering countries, stand ready to intervene alongside the Ecuador authorities and to support the affected population. More than 700 000 people are living less than 100 kilometers close to the epicenter of this new quake.

“The Earthquake of April 16th has been followed by 700 casualties of varying intensity, explains Dominique Delvigne, responsible of the programs conducted by Handicap International in South America. This new earthquake would necessarily have consequences on the physical and moral state of the inhabitants in the affected areas.”