6.0 earthquake strikes off coast of Ecuador

File photo

Quito: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 has struck near the coast of Ecuador.

The US Geological Survey says the epicenter is about 20 kilometers from Bahia de Caraquez. The quake, which had a depth of 24 kilometers, happened at around 1120 GMT (6:20 AM EST) today.

Bahia de Caraquez is about 360 kilometers west of Ecuador's capital, Quito.

It wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries or damage in the South American country.