Ecuador quake leaves 8 injured, 124 homes damaged
Quito, Jul 25 (EFE).- Eight people have been reported injured and 124 homes damaged thus far in the wake of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake and eight aftershocks that rocked the far-northern Ecuadorian province of Carchi on Monday, the National Risk and Emergency Management Service (SNGRE) said.
Four people sustained injuries in Carchi’s Montufar canton (district) and three in Espejo canton, with the medical conditions listed as fractures, contusions and one instance of hip trauma.
A student in the provincial capital of Tulcan also reportedly suffered a minor injury to his hand.
Of the homes affected, 16 were located in Tulcan, 50 in Montufar and 58 in Espejo. Two of them were completely destroyed.
Other buildings also suffered damage, including 32 educational units and five health care facilities.
The quake struck at 8.33 am at a spot 17.8 kilometers (11 miles) from the northern town of San Gabriel and was felt across 26 cantons, particularly in the five cantons of Carchi province, the SNGRE said.
The temblor was followed by eight aftershocks, the largest of which had a magnitude of 4.1, that agency said.
Ecuador is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, along which 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes and 80 percent of the world’s largest earthquakes occur. EFE
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