Strong quakes rattle Ecuador

Several strong earthquakes rattled Ecuador’s northwestern coast in the pre-dawn hours of on Monday, leaving some areas without power but with no reports of casualties.

The South American nation is still recovering from a devastating 7.8-magnitude quake that killed 673 people in April and left some 6,000 injured. That quake flattened homes and buildings up and down a long stretch of Ecuador’s northwestern Pacific coast, reducing picturesque resort towns to rubble. Hardest hit was the city and province of Esmeraldas.

“5 quakes over magnitude 4 in Esmeraldas,” President Rafael Correa wrote early Monday on his Twitter account. He added: “zones without electricity. Damage is being evaluated. Classes suspended in the province. Have courage!”