The center of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake was in the town of Balao, around 140 kilometers south of the port city of Guayaquil, according to the authorities. The tremors were also felt in other cities such as Quito, Manabí and Manta, as reported by users in online networks.

Several buildings were damaged in the city of Cuenca. One person died there when a collapsed wall crashed into his car. Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso called on the population on Twitter to keep calm and get information through the official channels.

The earthquake also shook northern Peru. So far there is no evidence of injuries or major property damage in the country, said the head of the Geophysical Institute of Peru, Hernando Tavera.

Ecuador and Peru lie on what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, which stretches along the west coast of the American continent. There, several tectonic plates collide and often trigger earthquakes.