Flood, then quake: Ecuador town suffers double disaster

First came the flood and then the “long, long” earthquake, a shaking so hard the two-story, covered market came down in a heap in this small town in western Ecuador.

Dazed residents began the week in flood waters up to their chests — and ended it Saturday evening with a devastating 7.8-magnitude quake.

“It’s only been a week and nature has punished us so badly,” said Nelly, a 73-year-old who declined to give her last name.

In Abdon Calderon, 180 kilometres south of the epicentre, at least two people were killed in the collapse of the town market.

“On Monday, water flooded the town. There wasn’t a house that wasn’t submerged. The water was up to our chests in the main avenue,” Nelly said.

Then on Saturday, she said, the market came down “like a house of cards.” 

Too fearful to stay indoors, she spent the night in the streets. 

Now she finds herself standing outside the flattened market, hugging herself to keep warm as she tearfully recounted the town’s double misfortune.