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AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd
World News

Makeshift church funerals for Ecuador earthquake victims

by Hannah Tooley

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Roman Catholic nation on Saturday evening and so far more than 500 people have been killed as a result.

On Tuesday a 5.5 magnitude tremor rattled buildings in the region; it was the second strongest of more than 400 aftershocks since the weekend quake and was felt 105 miles away in the capital Quito.

The first earthquake destroyed or damaged around 1,500 buildings and triggered mudslides, leaving some 20,000 people homeless, according to the government.

It is being seen as the worst tremor in Ecuador since quake in 1949 killed more than 5,000 people.

In Montecristi a funeral has been held outside under a makeshift awning because the town's Roman Catholic church was unsafe from structural damage.

Officials say they expect more bodies to be found, with the Defence Department reporting around 231 people still missing.

It is thought that the final toll could surpass casualties from earthquakes in Chile and Peru in the past ten years.

At least nine foreigners have died in the quake, including an American and two Canadians.

AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd

One man lasted 36 hours in the rubble.

He stayed alive by drinking his own urine and praying that the mobile phone service would be restored before his phone battery died.

He was finally able to call his wife on Monday afternoon and was pulled from the wreckage soon after by a team of rescuers from Colombia.

Cordova's wife had given up on ever seeing him again and even bought a coffin.

He said: "They were organising the funeral, but I've been reborn.

"I will have to give that coffin back because I still have a long way to go before I die."

AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa

Thirteen countries are involved in the relief effort and authorities are beginning to shift their attention to restoring electricity and clearing debris.

Thirteen nations are involved in the relief effort. Cuba sent doctors, Venezuela has flown in food and the US government said it was sending a team of disaster experts as well as 100,000 dollars in aid.

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