Two more earthquakes rattle Guayas Province

A moderate magnitude earthquake, centered northwest of Guayaquil, was felt strongly throughout much of Guayas, Santa Elena and Bolivar Provinces Monday night. Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute reported the quake at 5.4 magnitude while the Geofon Seismic Network said it measured 4.8. It was the latest in a series of quakes that have occurred in Guayas Province in recent weeks.

Eight hours later, at 5:20 Tuesday morning, another quake measuring 4.2 was recorded offshore, southwest of Guayaquil.

Earthquake location map.

According to the Institute, the Monday quake, which occurred just after 9 p.m., had a depth of 43 kilometers.

Early reports indicated no injuries or structural damage, according to Guayas Province Governor José Francisco Cevallos. “The earthquake was felt strongly in several cantons but, thankfully, we have escaped serious consequences that we are aware of,” he said. “We experiencing a period of high seismic activity and will continue to remain vigilant,” he added.

The Institute said the quake was also felt Chimborazo, El Oro, Azuay, Manabí, Pichincha and Tungurahua provinces.

The Tuesday morning quake was felt only in Guayas and El Oro provinces.