Earthquake in Ecuador kills at least 12, causes wide damage

A strong earthquake shook the region around Ecuador's second-largest city on Saturday, killing at least twelve people, damaging homes and buildings, and sending panicked residents into the streets.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 in the country's coastal Guayas region. It was centered about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, which anchors a metro area of over 3 million people.

The South American country's emergency response agency, the Risk Management Secretariat, reported one person died in the Andean community of Cuenca. The victim was a passenger in a vehicle trapped under the rubble of a house.