7.8-magnitude quake hits off coast of Ecuador

[Guest Nicole]

QUITO, Ecuador --A powerful, 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook Ecuador's central coast on Saturday, cracking buildings and rattling homes as far away as the capital of Quito.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 16 miles south-southeast of Muisne, Ecuador, in a sparsely populated area of fishing ports popular with tourists. It had a depth of 12 miles.

In the port city of Guayaquil, an overpass collapsed on top of a car and the roof of a shopping center buckled. In Manta, the airport was closed after the control tower suffered severe damages.

President Rafael Correa called on Ecuadoreans to show strength while he and authorities monitor events. So far there had been no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves are possible for some coasts. But the government's natural disaster agency didn't issue a tsunami alert.

Barry Hirshorn at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center told CBS News any possible tsunami waves were not likely to range beyond one to three feet, because the quake did not strike a particularly sensitive area of the ocean floor. He said that property damage and landslides were more likely consequences than a dangerous tsunami.

In the capital, the quake was felt for about 40 seconds and people fled buildings to the streets in fear. Quito is located about 105 miles from the quake's epicenter. The quake appeared to have knocked out electricity and cellphone coverage in several neighborhoods in the capital.

"I'm in a state of panic," said Zoila Villena, one of many Quito residents who congregated in the streets. "My building moved a lot and things fell to the floor. Lots of neighbors were screaming and kids crying."

"I was in my house watching a movie and everything started to shake. I ran out into the street and now I don't know what's going to happen," Lorena Cazares, 36, a telecommunications worker in Quito, told Reuters.

Photos of shopping centers in Quito with their roofs collapsing were seen on social media but authorities said they were still surveying the damage.

Several aftershocks, some as strong as magnitude 5.6, continued in the hour after the quake, which occurred at nightfall.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/7-8-magnitude-quake-hits-off-coast-of-ecuador/

Updated:

A strong 7.8 earthquake has struck Ecuador's coastline, killing at least 41 people and causing widespread destruction in the vicinity of the epicenter. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that the tsunami threat from the quake has now "mostly passed."
 

[admin]

A bridge collapsed at Avenida de las Americas after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador's coastline, killing at least 41 people and causing widespread destruction in the vicinity of the epicenter. Several people are trapped under the bridge and one person has died, according to reports.
 

[admin]

 

[admin]

According to a gentleman in Ecuador many people saw a bluish-green light in the sky during the earthquake.... Has anyone heard of anything similar before?

Here is his comment in Spanish: