Quake of 6.8 magnitude strikes northwest of Ecuador capital Quito - USGS

LONDON (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Ecuador to the northwest of the capital Quito on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was initially given a magnitude of 6.9 but the USGS then revised the figure down to 6.8. It said the epicentre of the quake was 82 km (50 miles) south of Esmeraldas on the northwestern coast of the Andean country. Overnight on Wednesday, a 6.7 quake struck Ecuador's Pacific coast, causing minor injuries and light damage in the same region where a 7.8 tremor killed more than 650 people last month. (Writing by Hugh Lawson; Editing by Mark Heinrich)