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Ecuador Rattled by Two Powerful Earthquakes
LONDON — Two earthquakes shook western Ecuador on Wednesday, one month after the worst temblor to hit the country in decades killed more than 650 people and injured more than 16,600.
Although the extent of any damage was not immediately clear, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement that it was not issuing a tsunami warning.
The first earthquake struck in the early morning in the province of Esmeraldas, about 100 miles northwest of the capital, Quito, according to the United States Geological Survey. Reuters, citing witnesses, said that the 6.7-magnitude quake had cut electricity in several coastal areas, and that people had been running in the streets.
The second earthquake occurred nearby at midday and had a magnitude of 6.8, with the epicenter in the small coastal town of Mompiche.
President Rafael Correa wrote on Twitter that schools in the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabí would be closed until Monday. Power was down in parts of those areas and officials were assessing the damage.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 16 devastated and traumatized Ecuador, prompting Mr. Correa to declare a national emergency.
That temblor was felt in Quito, as well as in parts of Colombia and Peru, and it caused ruin in Ecuador’s provinces on the coast. The tremors flattened buildings, damaged highways and knocked out electricity, transforming parts of the country into disaster areas.
Last month’s quake left thousands homeless and hit hardest along the central coast of the country, which is peppered with fishing villages and beach resorts.
Unicef said in a statement this week that Ecuador was still recovering from the April quake, which, it noted, had destroyed water systems, shut down health centers and damaged or destroyed roughly 560 schools and close to 10,000 buildings.
Follow Dan Bilefsky on Twitter @DanBilefsky.
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