Death toll rises to 262 after Ecuador earthquake

/Courtesy of Yonhap

By Lee Han-soo

The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador's central coast on Saturday (local time) has soared to 246, according to news reports. More than 2,500 people have been injured, the reports said.

With the west coast city of Manta so far suffering 135 aftershocks, casualties are expected to rise as searches and rescue missions continue.

“Although there have been many aftershocks we have no imminent danger of a tsunami,” CNN quoted vice president Jorge Glas as saying.

“Police and the military are all focused on the rescue mission, and the governments of Colombia, Chile, Spain and Mexico are sending help.”

Ecuador’s government has deployed more than 10,000 military personal and 4,600 police to the disaster area, near the Pacific Ocean.

The earthquake is estimated as six times stronger than the 7.3 earthquake that struck Kumamoto, Japan on Saturday.