Magnitude 6.8 quake hits Ecuador, 2nd big shake of day
Magnitude 6.8 quake hits Ecuador, 2nd big shake of day
Gonzalo Solano, Associated Press
Updated 3:03 pm, Wednesday, May 18, 2016
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Two powerful earthquakes jolted Ecuador on Wednesday, a magnitude 6.7 early morning temblor followed by a 6.8 shake around midday.
The extent of damage from the second quake was not immediately clear, though President Rafael Correa announced on Twitter some areas along the coast had lost power and said schools would be cancelled nationwide as a precaution. The first caused little serious damage. Both appeared to be aftershocks of a magnitude 7.8 quake a month earlier.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the second quake hit at 11:46 a.m. (12:46 p.m. EDT; 16:46 GMT) and was centered along the coast below land about 14 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of the city of Rosa Zarate.
The earlier quake was centered less than 10 miles (about 10 kilometers) away and struck shortly before 3 a.m. local time. Both are less than 100 miles (155 kilometers) west-northwest of the capital, Quito.
"These sort of aftershocks are normal but that doesn't mean they're not scary and can cause damage," Correa said in a televised address after the early morning shake. He added that aftershocks of this magnitude were normal for up to two months after a major quake like the one Ecuador experienced.
More:
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/6-7-magnitude-earthquake-reported-in-Ecuador-7601583.php
