(VOVworld) – Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa visited the worst-affected regions in the 7.8-magnitude quake struck Ecuador's Pacific coast on Saturday. At least 413 people are now known to have died in the earthquake. Correa said the search for trapped survivors continues.
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| Hundreds of people are feared to have died in the town of Pedernales |
He expressed his worry that the number of casualties may rise and the cost of rebuilding is likely to be in the billions of dollars. Correa said many temporary centers have been established to shelter homeless people and injured people have been transported to hospitals.
The Minister of Transport and Public Works, Walter Solis, reported that more than 10 percent of the state road network was destroyed by the earthquake. 450 million USD from the national emergency fund has been allocated for rescue work, essential goods supply, and building shelters. The WB and the Inter-American Development Bank (BID) have provided credit worth 600 million USD to Ecuador. Venezuela, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and Switzerland have sent aids and rescuers to Ecuador.