Ecuador increases the death toll from the earthquake

Significantly worsen the balance of the catastrophic earthquake that hit Ecuador on Saturday evening. Local authorities said they have confirmed at least 272 victims, while more than 1,500 others were injured in the strong earthquake that hit the country in decades. The earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit hardest Ecuador's coastal areas, where police say that while information is still coming, the death toll expected to rise. About 10,000 military and 5,000 police officers were deployed 3 in the worst affected areas, where speeds continue with search and rescue operations. The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa broke off his visit in Italy to return to the country and to deal with this crisis. He declared a state of emergency and said the priority was finding survivors. Real situation on the ground is hard and the movement of vehicles, among which emergency vehicles is significantly hampered by landslides. Learned that in some areas the search teams, assisted by local residents are digging into the rubble with their hands, as they fear that the use of heavy machinery can damage those who are still alive under the rubble. Some towns reported to have disappeared from the earth, and the inhabitants and authorities are faced with the phenomenon of looting and riots are common in such cases. Local media say the extent of the damage is exceptional and an example take the case of a bridge that collapsed by an earthquake 300 kilometers away from the epicenter. This was the strongest earthquake in Ecuador since 1979. According to seismologists, its epicenter near Muisne area was very small depth of only 19.2 kilometers and this explains the huge damage caused. To create a clearer picture of the earthquake Ecuador, experts say that it was 16 times stronger than Friday's earthquake in Japan that killed 30 people.