6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Ecuador

PanARMENIAN.Net - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Ecuador on Wednesday, April 20, just four days after another, more powerful quake sparked devastation and killed nearly 500 people, with 1,700 others reported missing, AFP reports.

The epicenter of the latest quake, which struck at 8:33 GMT at a depth of 15.7 kilometers, was located 25 kilometers west of Muisne and 73 kilometers west-southwest of Propicia, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Authorities in Quito called the latest earthquake an aftershock. No tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

It came with the South American nation already reeling from Saturday's 7.8-magnitude quake that hit Ecuador's coast in a zone popular with tourists, not too far from the epicenter of Wednesday's quake.

The death toll from that quake, currently at 480, was set to rise sharply after authorities warned that 1,700 people were still missing, AFP says.

"We have 2,000 people listed that are being looked for, but we have so far found 300," Deputy Interior Minister Diego Fuentes told reporters in the capital Quito.

Some 4,605 people were injured, according to the latest government figures.