Strong earthquake kills at least 12 in Ecuador, 1 in Peru
Quito (AP): A strong earthquake shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday, killing at least thirteen people, trapping others under rubble, and sending rescue teams out into streets littered with debris and fallen power lines.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.8 that was centered just off the Pacific Coast, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city. Twelve of the victims died in Ecuador, while one died in Peru.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso told reporters the earthquake had "without a doubt ... generated alarm in the population." Meanwhile, Ecuador's Risk Management Secretary Cristian Torres in a radio interview said 11 of the victims died in the coastal state of El Oro and one in the highlands state of Azuay.
In Peru, the earthquake was felt from its northern border with Ecuador to the central Pacific coast. Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Ot rola said a 4-year-old girl died from head trauma she suffered in the collapse of her home in the Tumbes region, on the border with Ecuador.
The victim in Azuay's Andean community of Cuenca was a passenger in a vehicle crushed by rubble from a house, according to the Risk Management Secretariat, Ecuador's emergency response agency.
In El Oro, the agency also reported that several people were trapped under rubble. In the community of Machala, a two-story home collapsed before people could evacuate, a pier gave way and a building's walls cracked, trapping an unknown number of people.
The agency said firefighters worked to rescue people while the National Police assessed damage, their work made more difficult by downed lines that interrupted telephone and electricity service.
Machala resident Fabricio Cruz said he was in his third-floor apartment when he felt a strong tremor and saw his television hit the ground. He immediately headed out.
"I heard how my neighbors were shouting and there was a lot of noise," said Cruz, a 34-year-old photographer. He added that when he looked around, he noticed the collapsed roofs of nearby houses.
Lasso said he would travel on Saturday to El Oro.
In Guayaquil, about 170 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Quito, authorities reported cracks in buildings and homes, as well as some collapsed walls. Authorities ordered the closure of three vehicular tunnels in Guayaquil, which anchors a metro area of over 3 million people.
Videos shared on social media show people gathered on the streets of Guayaquil and nearby communities. People reported objects falling inside their homes.
One video posted online showed three anchors of a show dart from their studio desk as the set shook. They initially tried to shake it off as a minor quake but soon fled off camera. One anchor indicated the show would go on a commercial break, while another repeated, "My God, my God."
A report from Ecuador's Adverse Events Monitoring Directorate ruled out a tsunami threat.
Peruvian authorities said the old walls of an Army barracks collapsed in Tumbes.
Ecuador is particularly prone to earthquakes. In 2016, a quake centered farther north on the Pacific Coast in a more sparsely populated area of the country killed more than 600 people.
#UPDATE At least 12 people were killed, one was wounded and buildings were damaged in the earthquake that shook Peru and Ecuador earlier Saturday, Ecuador's presidency saidhttps://t.co/2iR3qNb74C pic.twitter.com/d23Gh9haCn
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 18, 2023
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Uppinangady: Sayyidul Ulama inaugurates 'Muallim Manzil' for poor madrasa teachers
Uppinangady: Sayyidul Ulama Sayyid Jifri Muthukoya Tangal inaugurated the "Muallim Manzil," a housing project for underprivileged madrasa teachers, at Jogibettu on Wednesday. The project was organized by the D.K. illa Jamiyyathul Muallimeen under the Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Muallimeen Central Council (SKJMCC).
The key to the Muallim Manzil house was ceremoniously handed over to Abubakar Siddique Darimi, the beneficiary of the initiative, aimed at supporting economically disadvantaged madrasa educators.
Prominent attendees included Shamsuddin Darimi Pammale, president of the District Jamiyyathul Muallimeen, secretary Muhammad Navvi Bellare, treasurer Ibrahim Darimi Kadaba, as well as other district representatives, were present during the program.
Also present were KH Ashraf Hanifi, president of the Uppinangady Range Jamiyyathul Muallimeen, general secretary Abdul Jabbar Aslami, treasurer Abdurahman Haji Kollejal, and chairman Zakaria Musliyar.
The event also saw participation from IT Coordinator Abdurazak Darimi, range representatives, Ismail Thanal Uppinangadi, chairman of Vikhaya, and representatives of SKSSF from the Uppinangady zone, along with various Ulama Umrahs.
