A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck Ecuador on April 8, resulting in 15 deaths and over 380 people injured. The earthquake was felt in 13 of the country’s 24 provinces, and the most affected province was El Oro, which shares a border with Peru. Twelve people died in El Oro, while two people died in Azuay, another province in the south of the country. Several people were trapped under the rubble, and there were reports of collapsed buildings and damaged infrastructure, including tunnels and a bridge.

The Ecuadorian president, Guillermo Lasso, has promised to attend to the emergency immediately, and the military has been helping to evacuate the wounded from the affected areas to health centers in Guayaquil. Official reports show that 44 homes have been destroyed, and fifty educational units affected, as well as 17 public assets, 20 private assets, 31 health centers, and one private asset destroyed.

Peru was also affected by the earthquake, with reports of dozens of victims, homes destroyed or disabled, and infrastructure affected. The National Seismological Center of Peru ruled out the generation of a tsunami as a consequence of the earthquake. The earthquake and the death of a 4-year-old girl in the Tumbes region of Peru have raised concerns about the two countries’ location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 85% of the world’s seismic activity occurs.

On April 16, Ecuador will commemorate the seventh anniversary of one of the most destructive earthquakes in its recent history, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that left more than 670 dead, thousands homeless, and millions in material losses. This recent earthquake has further highlighted the need for improved infrastructure and disaster preparedness in the region.