Several houses in the Gulf of Guayaquil were affected by the earthquake. Photo: Municipality of Guayaquil
From last Saturday, March 18 to Monday, March 21, 2023, the Situation Room of the Guayaquil Cantonal Emergency Operations Committee (COE) recorded that 73 properties have non-structural architectural damage. In addition, six present structural collapses and there are three electrical pole falls.
The effects were recorded in the urban area and rural parishes after the earthquake that occurred at noon on Saturday, March 18.
The Municipality of Guayaquil reported that through the Citizen Security Corporation (CSCG) it has mobilized 11 teams for damage assessment and needs analysis (EDAN). The work is carried out in conjunction with the Risk Management Department, Civil Protection Volunteers of Ecuador and the Benemérito Fire Department of Guayaquil (BCBG).
“In the case of 73 inspected buildings, they do not register structural problems, the largest number of them have been due to masonry problems; we must continue working on the strengthening and preparation of the citizenry”, said Alan Hacay, municipal director of Risks.
Among the structures inspected are churches. Thus, it was identified that the Cathedral and La Victoria Church did not register damage. Meanwhile, La Merced presented damage to one of its towers.
Hacay added that two of the collapsed houses are in Tenguel, two in the urban area, and two on Puná Island. “The ones in the Gulf were structures over 40 years old, of mixed construction and located in risk areas.”
Affectations in the Gulf of Guayaquil
On the morning of Tuesday, March 21, a team traveled to Puná (waterway) and another will tour the cantonal capital. This to carry out the evaluations and deliveries of humanitarian assistance that are missing.
Meanwhile, municipal technical teams carry out inspections of infrastructures affected by the earthquake. In the town of Puerto Salinas, around 36 families affected by the telluric movement were identified. This caused the destruction of 4 houses and others with partial collapse.
Andrés Sánchez, a geologist from the Risk Management and Cooperation Directorate, indicated that information is being collected that will make it possible to issue recommendations to mitigate the impacts of the tremor, which fortunately left no victims in that commune.
“We have detected that there was also a landslide as a result of the erosion of the land, so the population near the area is more likely to suffer the ravages of another earthquake,” he said.
During the tremor, the 12 members of the Mejillones family were unharmed when the slab of their property fell, which also destroyed a small family business.