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Earthquake in Northwestern Ecuador
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A 7.8 magnitude quake struck the northwestern coastal area.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to the people of Ecuador. Like the rest of the world, we here at INCA in California have been closely monitoring the news of the earthquake that struck the central coast on Saturday night. (A 7.8 magnitude quake struck the northwestern coastal area between the towns of Muisne and Pedernales at about 7 PM local time on Saturday, April 16, 2016.)
We are both pleased and relieved to report that all of INCA's friends and colleagues in Guayaquil and Quito are safe and sound. The Galápagos Islands are 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, and neither the earthquake nor its aftershocks touched the Islands. INCA's offices and operations are open and remain unaffected in the Galápagos, Quito, the Otavalo countryside and the Amazon Jungle.
Airports in Quito, Guayaquil and Baltra are operating normally and have been since Sunday, April 17. (Only the Guayaquil airport was closed for a few hours due to lack of communications.)
Guests visiting the regions where we operate will not in any way hamper or distract from rescue efforts.
The following is a list of organizations to which donations may be sent. We will keep our guests updated as we continue to monitor the news and gather reports from our colleagues in Ecuador.