About 100 Ecuadorian Prisoners Escape Amid Powerful Quake

Some 100 inmates escaped from the El Rodeo prison in the Ecuadorian city of Portoviejo, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused damage at the facility, Ecuador’s Justice Minister Ledy Zuniga said.

MEXICO CITY, April 18 (Sputnik) — According to the minister, about 30 of the runaway prisoners were later returned to prison, some of them returning voluntarily.

“Infrastructure at the El Rodeo prison damaged. About 100 people escaped,” Zuniga said on Twitter.

Infraestructura d CRS El Rodeo d Portoviejo afectada. Cerca de 100 PPL fugaron, junto a @PoliciaEcuador trabajamos en operativos d recaptura

— Ledy Zúñiga (@ledyzuniga) 17 апреля 2016 г.

​None of the inmates were injured in the quake, Zuniga added.

Cerca de 30 PPL q fugaron de CRS El Rodeo fueron recapturados, algunos retornaron voluntariamente al centro penitenciario. #TerremotoEcuador

— Ledy Zúñiga (@ledyzuniga) 17 апреля 2016 г.

​A powerful earthquake hit coastal Ecuador late on Saturday, with its epicenter near the town of Pedernales. Over 260 people died as result of the natural disaster, according to the country's authorities.