Magnitude 6.9 earthquake shakes Ecuador; no immediate reports of damage or injuries

Magnitude-6.9 quake shakes Ecuador

QUITO, Ecuador — A powerful earthquake shook the South American nation of Ecuador on Thursday, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

The magnitude-6.9 quake that hit at 6:54 a.m. (1154 GMT) was felt across much of the nation, including the capital, Quito.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered 105 miles (170 kilometers) southeast of Quito. But it was also very deep — about 114 miles (190 kilometers) below the surface — a distance that might have blunted its damage.

Liliana Troncoso of the national geophysical institute told Sonorama radio that local instruments registered shaking for almost 10 minutes.