Two powerful earthquakes impact millions of people
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8Mw struck offshore northwest Ecuador, devastating coastal areas. Hundreds of aftershocks, including several significant events, have been registered to date.
States of emergency have been declared in the six provinces that have been hit hardest including Manabi, Esmeraldas, Santa Elena, Guayas, Santo Domingo and Los Ríos.
Pedernales a cantons in Manibi, the worst affected province, has been declared a “disaster zone.”
About 720,000 people out of a population of 7 million in those provinces have been impacted by the disaster, authorities said.
The seismic disaster has killed at least 650 people, left 155 missing and almost 8,500 injured. About 7,000 buildings have been destroyed and more than 25,000 people were living in shelters, as of posting, according to local reports.
“These have been sad days for the homeland… [our] country is in crisis,” said President Correa in his weekly public broadcast. He has estimated the damage at up to $3 billion.
Nepal Earthquake
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8Mw struck Nepal on 25 April, 2015, killing about 9,000 people, destroying or damaging 800,000 homes, and devastating the public infrastructure. One year on, an estimated four million people are still living in sub-standard temporary shelters in conditions that pose a threat to their health and well-being.
‘How ruthless child traffickers exploited Nepal’s earthquake’
As the poverty stricken nation struggles to recover from the disaster, “the shocking scourge of child slavery and sex trafficking is worse than ever.”
Fire Earth 