M4.9 earthquake near Machala, El Oro

What happened

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 6 km S of Puerto Bolívar, Ecuador on 3 Jan 2020, 14:16 UTC at a depth of 69 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Light. Widely felt nearby; objects may shake or fall. Significant damage is unusual. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Machala, about 8 km away in El Oro, Ecuador.