Very strong M6.3 earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit near the coast of Ecuador at 11:45 UTC (06:45 local time) on April 25, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 35 km (22 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 21 km (13 miles) NE of Esmeraldas (population 218 727), 64 km (40 miles) WSW of Valdez (population 11 441), and 77 km (48 miles) NE of Muisne (population 13 393), Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
40 000 people are estimated to have felt very strong shaking, 205 000 strong, 217 000 moderate, and 3 562 000 light.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities. Some casualties are possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Past events with this alert level have required a local or regional level response.
A Green alert was issued for economic losses. There is a low likelihood of damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and adobe block construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.
The quake was felt strongly in Ecuador and parts of Colombia, but no major damage was reported outside Esmeraldas where at least 20 people were injured.
In Esmeraldas, walls of some homes crumbled, and power lines fell, causing disruptions. A wall collapsed at a health center, and structural damage was reported at the Luis Vargas Torres University, including to walls and other infrastructure.
The Ricardo Plaza Coliseum in Esmeraldas also sustained damage.
The Santa Rosa airport sustained minor damage but remained operational.
State oil company Petroecuador suspended operations at the Esmeraldas refinery and SOTE pipeline as a preventative measure.
Full damage report:
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.3 earthquake Esmeraldas, Ecuador – USGS – April 25, 2025
2 M6.3 earthquake Esmeraldas, Ecuador – EMSC – April 25, 2025
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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