This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ecuador-searches-for-quake-survivors-as-death-toll-rises/2016/04/17/c5a444fc-04ae-11e6-bfed-ef65dff5970d_story.html

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Ecuador searches for quake survivors as death toll rises Ecuador searches for quake survivors as death toll rises
(about 7 hours later)
CALACALI-LA INDEPENDENCIA HIGHWAY, Ecuador — Ecuadorans scrambled Sunday to rescue survivors of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed at least 235 people, collapsed buildings and buckled roads along the country’s Pacific Coast. PEDERNALES, Ecuador — As darkness fell Sunday on the seaside town of Pedernales, the epicenter of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 246 people, residents gathered outside the a soccer stadium, hoping for supplies and news.
The quake, which struck just before 7 p.m. Saturday, was Ecuador’s worst since 1979, and it injured at least 1,500 people, the government said. Some, huddling silently and teary-eyed at one entrance, had come to identify the bodies of missing loved ones.
Rescuing people from the rubble of destroyed buildings was the immediate priority, President Rafael Correa, who was rushing back from a visit to Italy, said on Twitter. Others, jockeying for a place in long lines for water and food, told stories of close calls.
“The whole country is mobilizing,” Correa said, adding that he will land directly in the hard-hit town of Manta on Sunday evening. “It was only after the earthquake finished that we could get out of the house,” said Angelica Valencia, 30, clutching a gallon of water and surrounded by her three young children. “It was terrifying, and now we’re sleeping on the street.”
The coastal tourist town of Pedernales was “destroyed” the president said. Pedernales, a sleepy tourist town of pastel-colored cement houses, was shaken Saturday evening by the quake, which injured more than 2,000 people.
“We’re trying to do the most we can, but there’s almost nothing we can do,” the town’s mayor, Gabriel Alcivar, told the Associated Press. President Rafael Correa, who rushed back from a visit to Italy, said that finding survivors was the main priority.
A state of emergency was declared in six provinces. “The whole country is mobilizing,” he said on Twitter, adding that Pedernales was “destroyed.”
Several major roadways remained closed Sunday because of the quake and concerns about possible landslides. Others were set to close at sunset. The death toll here has reached at least 91, most of whom have been identified, police Gen. Milton Zarate said. Bodies, some covered by black tarps, were arranged under tents in one corner of the stadium.
Local radio stations urged calm, while photos posted on social media showed coastal roads broken into pieces. Nearly 200 aftershocks rumbled through the country overnight. About 600 people were treated at clinics and a pop up first aid station in the stadium, the Ecuadoran Red Cross said.
Residents in coastal residents spent the night in the streets away from structures because of fears of further damage from aftershocks, according to local news media. Schools in the worst-hit provinces would not hold classes until further notice. Rescue operations would continue through the night, officials said, so long as intermittent rain did not make conditions too treacherous for rescue teams.
The Esmeraldas oil refinery, key to the oil producer’s economy, halted output after the quake. Many residents, fearful of aftershocks, said that they planned to sleep outside. The interiors of some houses were fully visible, their outside walls knocked away but their foundations left standing.
Some of the 1,100 police officers brought into the area were packed into pickup beds as night fell, deploying to points around the city to protect residents sleeping outdoors without electricity.
“You can still hear people calling for help — we can’t get to them,” said Luis Flores, 41. “What can we do?”
The quake, the country’s worst in decades, collapsed buildings and buckled roads along the Pacific Coast. A state of emergency was declared in six provinces.
“Everything can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be recovered, and that’s what hurts the most,” Correa said on state radio.
Several major roadways remained closed Sunday because of damage and concerns about possible landslides. Others were closed at sunset.
Local radio stations urged calm, while photos posted on social media showed roads broken into pieces.
Schools in the worst-hit provinces will not hold classes until further notice. The Esmeraldas oil refinery, key to the oil producer’s economy, halted output after the quake.
A bridge in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, collapsed after the quake. Other bridges throughout the country were undergoing safety checks.A bridge in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, collapsed after the quake. Other bridges throughout the country were undergoing safety checks.
About $300 million was available for relief efforts, the government said.About $300 million was available for relief efforts, the government said.
Residents who were evacuated from coastal towns because of fears of a tsunami would be allowed to return to their homes, said Vice President Jorge Glas, who visited disaster sites Sunday.Residents who were evacuated from coastal towns because of fears of a tsunami would be allowed to return to their homes, said Vice President Jorge Glas, who visited disaster sites Sunday.
“No Ecuadoran is alone,” Glas tweeted. “We will come out of this emergency stronger.”“No Ecuadoran is alone,” Glas tweeted. “We will come out of this emergency stronger.”
Residents should not enter areas with rubble to gather possessions, the vice president told journalists in a news conference.Residents should not enter areas with rubble to gather possessions, the vice president told journalists in a news conference.
The attorney general’s office would oversee the return of victims’ bodies to their families, the national police said. The attorney general’s office will oversee the return of victims’ bodies to their families, the national police said.
Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the worldToday’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world