The death toll from Ecuador’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake has reached 654, one week after the tremors hit off the South American nation’s Pacific coast.
via Anadolu Agency / Getty.
Reportedly Ecuador’s strongest quake in seven decades, the disaster left over 16,000 people injured, and leveled more than 7,000 buildings.
President Rafael Correa used his weekly televised address to called for eight days of national mourning, and thanked 27 nations for offering emergency support.
via Edu Leon / Getty.
While there’s never a good time to suffer an earthquake, the disaster struck the nation at a particularly inopportune time – while low oil prices are good for international consumers, oil-producing nations like Ecuador are under strain.
The damage bill has been calculated at between AU $2.6B to nearly $3.9B, and Correa has proposed temporary tax hikes to aid reconstruction efforts in the damaged areas.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald / BBC.
Photo: Edu Leon / Getty.
