Earthquake with magnitude of 7.8 hits Ecuador, killing at least 77

'불의 고리' 에콰도르 강진으로 77명 사망 We begin with a deadly natural disaster, this one in Ecuador. This comes Just days after two earthquakes hit Japan... another country in the notorious Ring of Fire. At least 77 people have been killed... but officials caution the number is preliminary... and that more severe damage could be revealed after the sun rises. Lee Ji-won has more. The strongest earthquake to hit Ecuador in decades has left at least 77 dead and scores injured, destroying tall buildings and trapping people in the rubble. The magnitude 7-point-8 quake struck at close to 7 p.m. on Saturday, local time, just 27 kilometers west of the northern coastal town of Muisne. The seismic event was recorded at a relatively shallow depth of 19-point-two kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, the tremor was still strong enough to be felt in the capital of Quito -- 170 kilometers away from the epicenter -- where it reportedly shook a building for about 40 seconds. The full extent of the damage is not yet known, as the quake struck as evening was falling, but coastal towns and cities near the epicenter like Muisne, Rosa Zarate and Manta have been seriously affected with buildings, bridges and an airport control tower collapsing. Vice President Jorge Glas said at a press conference on Saturday... at least 77 people had been killed, but called it a preliminary figure that could rise as daylight broke. He also declared a national emergency and said 10-thousand soldiers and 35-hundred police have been dispatched to the affected areas. In Korea, the foreign ministry said Sunday... there had been no Korean casualties reported as of noon... and that it had sent a text message with a list of safety precautions to the 12-hundred Koreans living in Ecuador. Lee Ji-won, Arirang News. Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS): http://www.facebook.com/newsarirang Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arirangtv Twitter: http://twitter.com/arirangworld Instagram: http://instagram.com/arirangworld