Two powerful earthquakes of M5.8 and M6.3 hit Ecuador ten minutes apart

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Two powerful quakes measuring 5.8 and 6.3 struck the coast of Ecuador ten minutes apart on July 10, 2016.

They appear to be aftershocks of the deadly April 2016 disaster, which claimed hundreds of lives in the country.

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via USGS

The strong earthquakes hit near Rosa Zarate, a town of some 60,000 residents in the Esmeraldas province.

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Via Twitter / JULIO GALARZA.A

The first earthquake, a 5.8-magnitude, struck at 9:01 p.m. local time on July 10, 2016 at a shallow depth of just 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). Minutes later, at 9:11 p.m. local time, a second M6.3 earthquake struck the same region.

The quakes were felt in Quito, the capital city as shown by this video:

The tremors from the two quakes were felt across a wide area and prompted many people to flee into the streets.

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Via Twitter / Javier Ruiz

Details about damage or casualties are not available. Residents reported power outages in some parts of Esmeraldas province.

School activities have been suspended until further notice in Esmeraldas and in Manabi to inspect possible damage.

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Via Twitter / Juan Camilo Escobar

There is no threat of a tsunami.

Earthquake history of Ecuador in 2016

Ecuador is located sits on the Nazca seismic plate region along the so-called ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’. And the country has already experienced a few powerful earthquakes this year already.

On April 16, a 7.8 magnitude quake rattled the country causing the deaths of at least 661 people. Over 27,000 others were injured across a number of provinces that were devastated by wide-spread destruction. A month later, two large earthquakes killed one and injured 85.

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