About 235 Dead As Massive Earthquake Strikes Ecuador

 The death toll from Ecuador‘s biggest earthquake in decades soared to at least 235 on Sunday as rescuers using tractors and bare hands hunted desperately for survivors in shattered coastal towns.

The 7.8 magnitude quake struck off the Pacific coast on Saturday and was felt around the Andean nation of 16 million people, causing panic as far away as the highland capital Quito and collapsing buildings and roads in a swath of western towns.

President Rafael Correa rushed home from a trip to Italy to supervise the emergency. “The immediate priority is to rescue people in the rubble,” he said. “Everything can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be recovered, and that’s what hurts the most.”

Visiting the quake zone, Vice President Jorge Glas said 235 had died and more than 1,500 people were injured.