Ecuador hit by 6.2 magnitude quake: USGS

A deep 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador on Thursday night, causing damage to buildings and injuring two people.

The quake hit at 9:12 pm local time (0212 GMT on Friday) at a depth of 93.5 kilometers, near the center of the South American country.

It was felt across several provinces, according to Twitter users.

Two people were injured in the town of Cumanda. The walls of homes cracked and ceilings caved in, mayor Marco Marquiasca said.

Local authorities recorded its magnitude as 6.5.

Ecuador suffered a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 16, 2016, which devastated villages in the coastal provinces of Manabi and Esmeraldas and killed 673 people.

The losses amounted to more than $3 billion, according to authorities.
Located on the boundary of the Nazca and South America tectonic plates, Ecuador is very prone to seismic activity.