At least 12 dead in Ecuador following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake

At least 12 people were killed as a result of an earthquake that struck Ecuador, Saturday, and was felt by the people of Peru, according to an official toll.
“So far, there are 12 dead,” the Ecuadorian presidency said on Twitter, 11 in the province of El Oro and one in the province of Azuay.
According to the American Institute of Seismology, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8 degrees, and the earthquake also led to the fall of at least one injured person, and resulted in material damage.
The earthquake, which was centered in the Palau region at a depth of 44 kilometers, sparked a state of panic among the population, who took to the streets. Houses collapsed in several cities, including Cuenca, the worst affected city.
The quake was felt in Quito, Manabi and Manta, according to testimonies posted on social media.
Ecuadorean President Guillermo Laso urged his compatriots, in a tweet on Twitter, to remain “calm and receive information through official channels” regarding the damage to the buildings.
In Peru, where the impact of the earthquake was less strong, no injuries or serious damage have been reported so far.
According to the Ecuadorian Navy’s Institute of the Oceans and Antarctica, the tremor “does not meet the conditions that could lead to a tsunami” in the Pacific Ocean.