Massive earthquake in Ecuador leaves 20,000 people HOMELESS
TWENTY thousand people have been made homeless in Ecuador following the devastating earthquake which has killed 480 and injured 2,560 more.
Survivors are now at risk of poor sanitation
The quake, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck on Saturday and around 800 buildings have been destroyed.
Some 654 rescue workers have arrived in the country to help with the consequences of the worst earthquake the country has seen for 40 years.
Hundreds of rescue workers have arrived to help
The homeless survivors are vulnerable to dirty drinking water and disease
Emergency teams in the country has been saving lives in the days immediately after the disaster and are now focused on ensuring those people made homeless have water, tents and food.
The homeless survivors are vulnerable to dirty drinking water and disease, so The World Food Programme and Oxfam are sending supplies, while the UN said it was preparing a "major airlift".
Survivors pulled out of Ecuador shopping center rubble
Experts fear the country will lose millions due to the quake
The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, said that the country would lose $3,000 million as a consequence of the earthquake, which was one of strongest the country had ever suffered.
The town of Pedernales, which was one of the worst hit places of the quake, does not have enough space in its cemetury to accommodate for all the corpses.
20,000 people have been made homeless after the disaster
Another issue in the rescue operation is the lack of machinery, which is needed to remove the rubble.
Shockingly, businesses were robbed following the quake on Sunday and the thieves tried to sell the products.