Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Hits Ecuador, Causes Damage and Injuries

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near the coast of Ecuador, damaging buildings in the city of Esmeraldas, causing power outages, and injuring at least one person. Authorities confirmed there was no tsunami risk and reported that several public and private buildings, including homes and a health center, were affected. President Daniel Noboa announced that the government is setting up shelters and providing humanitarian aid to assist those impacted. As a precaution, state oil company Petroecuador suspended operations at the Esmeraldas refinery and the SOTE pipeline, though the production impact remains unspecified. Shortly after the main quake, a second, smaller earthquake of 4.1 magnitude was recorded in the province of Guayas. Ecuador, located on a geologically active fault line, remains on alert as recovery efforts continue.