Powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hits Ecuador

A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Ecuador during the early morning hours of Friday.

The earthquake occurred at 5:17 a.m. ECT/EST with the epicentre in the rural area located near the central border of Peru and Ecuador, according to the United States Geological Survey.

That was followed by a 5.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred less than 25 minutes later in western Ecuador, near the city of Guayaquil.

Light to strong shaking was felt throughout the country with very strong shaking reported in a few communities in southern Ecuador and northern Peru.

There has been no immediate word of damage or fatalities, but the USGS estimates that both are possible given the magnitude of the earthquake.

Showers and thunderstorms can occur daily across Ecuador through this weekend, potentially putting a damper on and disrupting any rescue or recovery efforts in the wake of the earthquakes.