According to the Geophysical Institute (IG), the epicenter of the quake was in the city of Machala, in El Oro province, and it occurred at a depth of 30 kilometers.
In addition, the IG recorded several aftershocks of the earthquake, which occurred during the early morning, the most recent was at 05:49 (local time) in the city of Guayaquil with a magnitude of three degrees on the Richter scale.
So far there are no reports of material damage, injuries or deaths.
The tremor was felt in 102 cities in the provinces of Loja, Azuay, El Oro, Manabí, Zamora Chinchipe, Guayas, Bolívar, Cañar, Los Ríos, Chimborazo, Morona Santiago and Tungurahua.
On March 18, Machala was already shaken by an earthquake that left 14 deaths, almost 500 injured and thousands of people affected.
Ecuador is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which concentrates some of the most important subduction zones (sinking of tectonic plates) in the world and is the scene of strong seismic and volcanic activity.
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