China-constructed building survives 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador

The death toll of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the northern Pacific coast of Ecuador on April 16 has risen to 646, said President Rafael Correa on Saturday. Aftershocks are expected to continue for several weeks.

The following pictures show the scene at the worst hit areas: fallen overpasses, collapsed building and a severely damaged electrical grid.

However, all the China-made equipment and construction projects withstood the quake and have so far played significant roles in post-earthquake relief. 

The ECU911 emergency monitoring system, designed by China’s National Electronics Import and Export Corp. and constructed by China CAMC Engineering Co., is currently playing a key role in coordinating rescue work. 

Of the seven disaster relief sites areas run by China, four are located in the hardest hit areas, and all remain operational after the quake. 

A four-year-old girl in the port city of Manta had been trapped in debris for eight hours when she was rescued, but all nearby hospitals were either too badly damaged or too overcrowded to treat her.

The rescue team turned to the ECU911 system and the girl was transported to a hospital in Guayaquil City by a military helicopter. Luckily, the girl is now out of danger thanks to her timely treatment. 

If not for the national public safety and emergency response platform developed by China, the difficulties faced by Ecuador in the aftermath of this disaster would be unimaginable, said Minister of Security and Coordination, Cesar Navas, on April 17. 

“I am very grateful to the Chinese government, as well as to all the people, for uniting with us in solidarity at this moment when Ecuador is suffering a disaster,” said Ecuadorian Ambassador to China, Jose M. Borja, on April 21 in Beijing. 

Besides the ECU911 system, China CAMC Engineering Co. also built Portoviejo Hospital. Although it is located right in the epicenter of the quake, it suffered no structural damage other than to an internal wall that was still being built when the earthquake struck. 

Portoviejo Hospital after the earthquake

Portoviejo Hospital after the earthquake

In addition, the 10 China-built roads and the two bridges in the earthquake zone remain undamaged. They have helped immensely with transport tasks during rescue efforts. 

Just 15 minutes after the earthquake, Huawei's representative office in Ecuador set up an emergency response team and contacted customers to provide support. Since the company entered the Ecuadorian market in 1999, it has signed four projects in cooperation with Ecuador, the value of which comes to $12 million.

Coca Codo Sinclair Dam.