Powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes Peru-Ecuador border region

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit Ecuador on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck 17 kilometres from the town of Montalvo in eastern Ecuador near the border with Peru, the agency said. It hit at a depth of 132 kilometres, it added. It was followed by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake that occurred less than 25 minutes later in western Ecuador, near the city of Guayaquil.

Light to strong shaking was felt throughout the country with very strong shaking reported in a few communities in southern Ecuador and northern Peru, reported AccuWeather.