At 18:58 ECT on April 16 , a 7.8 Mw earthquake struck the coast of Ecuador approximately south-southeast of Muisne , in the province of Esmeraldas , at a depth of . Tremors were felt in neighboring Colombia and Peru ; a clinic in Cali , Colombia , was evacuated as a precautionary measure . A tsunami alert was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for Colombia , Costa Rica , Ecuador , Fiji , Panama , and Peru . This is the largest earthquake to strike Ecuador since the 1979 Tumaco earthquake . According to Mayor Gabriel Alcivar , much of the town of Pedernales , about 35 km to the south-southwest of the earthquake 's epicenter , was leveled . In Guayaquil — approximately from the epicenter — an overpass collapsed on a car , killing the driver . In Manta the control tower of the airport was severely damaged ; an Air Force officer was injured and the airport closed . Six homes collapsed and many others lost power in the nation 's capital city of Quito
1979 Tumaco earthquake
1979 Tumaco earthquake
2016 Ecuador earthquake