At least 676 people were killed and more than 16,600 others were injured in the earthquake . It was the worst natural disaster to hit Ecuador since the 1949 Ambato earthquake . Over 300 fatalities occurred in the cities of Manta and Portoviejo , both of which are located in Manabi province . President Rafael Correa stated that the reconstruction would cost " billions of dollars . " The number of fatalities was estimated as several hundred within thirty minutes of the earthquake . However , the media reported the number of fatalities as significantly lower than what actually happened and than what was estimated within thirty minutes as the figure of reported fatalities with time shows . The number of injuries reported by media also remained below the ultimate count and below the correct estimate within 30 minutes by QLARM as seen in the next figure
1949 Ambato earthquake
1949 Ambato earthquake
2016 Ecuador earthquake