Ecuador earthquake of 7.8 magnitude kills dozens

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador has killed at least 77 people and injured more than 500, Vice-President Jorge Glas says.

The quake, Ecuador's largest since 1979, hit at 18:58 on Saturday (23:58 GMT) near the northern town of Muisne.
Widespread severe damage is reported, with a bridge destroyed as far south as Guayaquil about 300km (190 miles) away.
President Rafael Correa, who is flying back from a trip to Italy, has decreed a state of emergency.
He said: "This is a very painful test. I ask the country to be calm and united... Let's be strong; we will overcome this."
He added: "Roads and hospitals can be rebuilt; you cannot recover lost lives. That's what hurts the most."
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Mr Glas said that at least 77 people had died and 588 had been injured, adding that the figures could rise as a number of affected areas had not yet been reached.
He called for calm, particularly in the city of Portoviejo, amid reports of a "lack of public order".
Gabriel Alcivar, mayor of the town of Pedernale, which is close to the epicentre, said: "We're trying to do the most we can but there's almost nothing we can do."
He said dozens of buildings had been flattened and looting had broken out.
"This wasn't just a house that collapsed, it was an entire town," Mr Alcivar said.
Carla Peralto, a resident of Boyaca, one of the worst-affected areas, told the BBC: "I never felt something like that in my life. It was so strong. I was feeling very, very scared... I was thinking 'God, please stop that because maybe I die today'."
Serious damage was also reported in the city of Manta, with an airport tower among the buildings destroyed.
Manta resident Ramon Solorzano told Reuters: "Most people are out in the streets with backpacks on, heading for higher ground. The streets are cracked. The power is out and phones are down."