Powerful 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern Ecuador, Resulting in Fatalities and Widespread Damage
A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude hit southern Ecuador on March 18, 2023. The earthquake's epicenter was located off the coast of the canton of Balao, about 80 kilometers south of Guayaquil, with a hypocenter depth of 65.8 km. The earthquake resulted in significant damage in the provinces of El Oro, Azuay, and Guayas, causing 446 injuries and 16 fatalities in Ecuador and two fatalities and dozens of injuries in Peru. The USGS reported the earthquake's magnitude as 6.8 Mw with a maximum MMI of VII, while the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported a magnitude of 6.7 Mw. Nearly half of Ecuador's population, or 8.41 million people, felt the earthquake, with intensities of V-VII reported by PAGER. The earthquake resulted from oblique-slip faulting at an intermediate depth near the subduction interface of the Nazca and South American plates. The earthquake had a widespread impact across Ecuador, with 13 out of 24 provinces affected. Damage included the c