Fear, grief follow deadly quake on Ecuador’s southwest coast

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Some affectionally call Machala the “Banana Capital of the World.” This port community on Ecuador’s Pacific coast is home to about a quarter million people and normally bustles with commercial activity. But not this weekend, not after the deadly quake.

Grief hung in the air on Sunday, a day after a powerful temblor rocked this city, toppling homes and buildings along the coast and as far off as the Ecuadorian highlands and even parts of Peru.

Rubble covered some streets of Machala.