QUITO, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were injured when a strong earthquakes rocked the Amazonian region of Ecuador on Friday, the National Risk and Emergency Management Service said.
An earthquakes, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck the country during the early hours of Friday, followed by a magnitude 6.1 aftershock. The epicenter was located in the province of Morona Santiago, at a depth of 140 km.
According to the latest reports from the Risk and Emergency Management Service, the quakes caused structural damage to walls and columns at a local health center and the detachment of a roof slab at a local educational institution.
The Ministry of Education suspended classes Friday in the Morona Santiago for the safety of students and teachers.
Material damage was also reported in the southern province of Loja, where an educational institution reported broken windows and cracks in walls.
Ecuador is located in a region with frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. On April 16, 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the country's coast, killing more than 600 people and causing heavy property damage in the South American country.
