Earthquake: Ecuador suspends football tournaments, shuts nightlife venues

Quito, April 17: Ecuador's football federation suspended the remaining matches of the national football championship in the wake of a devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitude on Saturday, a CNN report said.

The country's government also shut all nightlife venues for the next 72 hours in affected places, the report added.

The mobile service-providers gave free text messaging service to people to reach out to their loved ones in Manabi and Esmeraldas provinces, Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas said. [Ecuador earthquake death toll rises to 41]

#BREAKING The number of victims in the Ecuador earthquake has increased to 41, local media reported. pic.twitter.com/6FtcxxvfY3

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) April 17, 2016

Update: Destructive 7.8-magnitude earthquake kills 41 along Ecuador's coast https://t.co/jCWVA526uX pic.twitter.com/evRKfqF35z

— Mashable (@mashable) April 17, 2016

The government also deployed 10,00 soldiers and 3,500 police officers to the affected places.

As per the US Geological Survey, tremors were centred 27 kilometres south-southeast of Muisne, a coastal town in northwestern Ecuador.

Over 40 people have reportedly been killed in the earthquake so far while the number of the injured is still to be confirmed. Emergency was declared in Guayas, Santo Domingo, Los Rios and Galapagos besides Manabi and Esmeraldas provinces. Glas, however, appealed to those who have left homes in the coastal areas to return since there was no tsunami alert.

One thousand lives were lost in this South American country in an earthquake which measured 7.2 on the Richter Scale, in 1987---as per the USGS.

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