Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Ecuador–Peru border region

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Ecuador–Peru border region, causing strong shaking across parts of southern Ecuador and northern Peru, according to officials.

The earthquake occurred at 7:05 p.m. local time on Tuesday at a depth of 83 kilometers (51 miles), Ecuador’s seismological agency reported.

Its epicenter was located in El Oro Province, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from Arenillas and 36 kilometers (23 miles) from the city of Machala.

Residents near the epicenter reported intense and prolonged shaking, with tremors felt as far away as Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, and across parts of northern Peru.

“Horrible. I thought the house was going to fall down,” one resident wrote on X.

Ecuador is one of the most seismically active countries in South America due to its location along the boundary of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, where the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the continent. This process regularly generates moderate to strong earthquakes.

In April 16, 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake near Muisne in Esmeraldas Province killed nearly 700 people, injured thousands, and caused widespread damage in the cities of Manta, Portoviejo, and Pedernales.