Ecuador - Landslide and earthquake (GDACS, USGS, Servicio Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos, INAMHI, media) (ECHO Daily Flash of 28 March 2022)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting southern Ecuador (in particular the Azuay Province) over the past 24 hours, triggering a huge landslide that has resulted in casualties and damage.

The Servicio Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos reports, as of 28 March, two fatalities, four injured people, around 15 damaged houses and damaged roads due to a landslide occurred in Cuenca City (the third city of the country, in northern Azuay Province) in the afternoon of 27 March.

An earthquake of 5.8M at a depth of 26 km occurred in northern Ecuador on 27 March at 4.28 UTC (26 March at 23.28 local time). The epicentre was located inland approximately 10 km south-east of the coastal town of Esmeraldas (Esmeraldas Province) and 175 km north-west of the Capital Quito.

An aftershock of 5.4M at a depth of 46 km at 20.17 UTC (15.17 local time) was recorded in the same Province, approximately 5 km north-east of the previous 5.8M event.

The Servicio Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos reports, as of 27 March, one injured person and a total of 356 affected people across the northern Esmeraldas Province. In addition, the same source reports two destroyed houses, 100 damaged buildings (included six schools and two hospitals) and one damaged bridge across the affected area.