Associated Press and CNN for Latin America are reporting:
An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude centered in or around Esmeraldas Province near Ecuador's Pacific Coast caused deaths, damage and panic in EC's central coastal region tonight, Saturday night (April 16, 2016).
EC Vice President Jorge Glas, in a televised address, stated that at least 41 people have been killed in Guayaquil, Manta and Portoviejo -- cities hundreds of kilometers from the quake's epicenter. The epicenter was reported to be in a sparsely-populated area of small fishing villages -- 27 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of the town of Muisne (MWEEZ-nay). Damage included the destruction of a yet-to-be-determined number of homes.
The provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo, Santa Elena and at least one other coastal province have been declared a state of emergency.
This is the most powerful earthquake in Ecuador in decades.