Residents stand in front of the debris of houses after an earthquake in the city of Chone, Manabi Province, Ecuador, on April 17, 2016. The strongest earthquake to jolt Ecuador in decades has killed 233 people, the country's President Rafael Correa said on Sunday, as rescuers raced to dig out survivors trapped in the rubble. (Xinhua/Jorge Penafiel/EL UNIVERSO)
The number of victims of a devastating earthquake that jolted Ecuador has risen to 246 dead and 2,527 injured, Vice President Jorge Glas said on Sunday, speaking to the press from the town of Pedernales.
At a live press conference earlier in the day, Glas said the priority was to continue searching for survivors among the rubble and to help the injured caused by the earthquake, which has generated at least 189 aftershocks of various strength.
Ecuador, who has declared a state of emergency in six provinces, has mobilized around 14,000 army and public security personnel to affected areas.
On Sunday, Glas visited the affected cities of Manta, Pedernales and Portoviejo, in the northeastern province of Manabi, which has been difficult to reach due to damaged highways.
