A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck coastal Ecuador on 16 April 2016, killing at least 676 people and causing widespread destruction across Manabí Province.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 7.8 Mw
- Deaths
- 676 people
- Injured
- 27,732 people
- Distance from Quito
- 170 km
- Emergency personnel deployed
- 13,500 personnel
- Max Mercalli Intensity
- VIII (Severe)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake resulted from a large thrust fault rupture along the subduction zone off Ecuador's Pacific coast. The region sits within the highly seismically active Ring of Fire, where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath the South American Plate, generating recurrent megathrust earthquakes.
On April 16, 2016, at 18:58 local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck approximately 27 km from Muisne and Pedernales. It was felt strongly in Quito, 170 km away. The commercial district of Tarqui in Manta was completely destroyed, and widespread structural collapse occurred across Manabí Province and beyond.
At least 676 people were killed and 27,732 injured. President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and deployed 13,500 military personnel and police for recovery operations. The regions of Manta, Pedernales, and Portoviejo bore over 75 percent of total casualties, with extensive infrastructure damage across the affected provinces.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 676 (earthquake)