Ecuador rocked by strong earthquake, 2nd big shake of day

The extent of damage from the second quake was not immediately clear, though President Rafael Correa announced on Twitter some areas along the coast had lost power and said schools would be canceled nationwide as a precaution.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the second quake hit at 11:46 a.m. (9:46 a.m. PDT) and was centered along the coast below land about 14 miles northwest of the city of Rosa Zarate in the province of Esmeraldas.

Security Coordination Minister Cesar Navas said one person was injured when a wall fell and five others were hurt in panicky efforts to flee buildings.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 16 was Ecuador’s worst natural disaster in decades, killing 661 and leaving more than 28,000 people homeless.

UNICEF said in a statement this week that the April quake had destroyed water systems, shut down health centers, and damaged or destroyed roughly 560 schools and close to 10,000 buildings.

Correa has raised taxes to fund the recovery but says it will take years to rebuild the beach towns and tourist hubs leveled by the quake.