Minor damage reported in Sunday morning quake

Only minor damage was been reported from a 5.1 earthquake Sunday, morning centered 18 kilometers east of Guayaquil. The quake occurred at 4:28 a.m. at a depth of 66 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Guayas Province officials said some structures near the epicenter suffered cracking but no structural damage.

Earthquake location map

Residents of several high-rise apartment buildings in Guayaquil voluntarily evacuated due to the shaking but emergency responders checked the structures and assured residents that it was safe to reenter.

According to local authorities, the quake was felt strongly in communities near the epicenter and moderately throughout Guayas Province and lightly in Chimborazo, El Oro, Azuay , Cañar, Loja, Manabí Los Ríos Provinces.

Ecuador is located on the so-called Ring of Fire along the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean. The deadly 2016 7.8 earthquake in Manabí Province, which occurred on the continental plate subduction zone, was one of the top five strongest earthquakes in the world in the past decade.