Close to the horrific earthquake in Ecuador that killed 246 people

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Ecuador's central coast killing at least 246 people and 2,527 wounded. This can be considered the most horrific natural disaster in decades.

About 10,000 soldiers and 3,500 police officers were deployed to many affected areas to begin the rescue operation of survivors buried under rubble. Vice President Ecuador Jorge Glas confirmed the number of people killed has increased to 246 while thousands were injured. The most affected areas are the coastal province of Manabi, where about 200 people die. Deaths are reported in the northern provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabi and Guayas, along the northern border with Colombia. In addition, the cities of Manta, Puerto Viejo and Pedernales are popular tourist destinations that are also devastated on a large scale.

" These are the most terrible memories of my life. People in the neighborhood scream when they think this is the end of the world " - a survivor of the Jose Meregildo earthquake in Guayaquil for know. This is the most populous city in Ecuador, many houses have collapsed and lost power on a large scale. Many people had to leave their homes, wandering around, sleeping on the street.

Officials declared a state of emergency in 6 of the 24 provinces of the country. Teleamazonas, quoted by a 40-year-old nurse, Adriana Villacís, said: " The first thing I did was protect my son, look for an exit, but part of the roof fell off so we could not send. No harm, but my son was shocked, and vomited quite a lot. "

The earthquake disaster occurred in the evening, when people were at home. A strong 5.6-magnitude aftershock continues to attack many areas in Ecuador.