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Residents of several coastal towns in Ecuador scrambled to free survivors trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings after the country's strongest earthquake in decades killed hundreds and destroyed homes, bridges and roads.

At least 246 people died in the magnitude-7.8 quake, the strongest in Ecuador since 1979. An additional 2,527 people were injured, officials said.

The quake hit at about 7 p.m. local time on Saturday. Television images showed residents in the hardest-hit areas sifting through rubble trying to rescue trapped family members.

The situation was particularly "grave" in the coastal towns of Portoviejo and Pedernales, a popular tourist spot, President Rafael Correa said. "The entire country has been mobilized," he said Sunday on his Twitter account.

The number of fatalities was expected to increase, said Diego Castellanos, a spokesman for the Red Cross in Ecuador. In Pedernales, which has about 50,000 residents, about 80% of homes were destroyed or in bad condition. He said that 40% of the larger buildings collapsed.

"I don't want to think that there are going to be thousands [of deaths], but we believe that it is going to increase basically because they haven't been able to get into the collapsed buildings yet," he said.

The earthquake rattled the country late Saturday, raising initial concerns about a tsunami in Ecuador and neighboring Peru. The U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake's epicenter was about 17 miles southeast of Muisne, a coastal city located in northwestern Ecuador.

The quake was felt as far away as the capital Quito, located in the Andes about 106 miles east of the epicenter.

Elena Seiffert, an American who has lived in Ecuador for the past two months, was in her 11th floor apartment in Quito when the quake struck. "The building was swaying back and forth for what felt like a really long time," she said. "Things were falling down, including paint chips and small pieces of the ceiling which made it feel like the building could fall."

In Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and home to its biggest port, a bridge collapsed, crushing one person, while media images showed the roof of a shopping mall had fallen in. Guayaquil resident Yadira Yagual said the lights went out at the mall while she was working. "It was horrible at my work," she was quoted saying by newspaper El Universo.

Jennifer Zambrano, a receptionist at a hotel in Guayaquil, said malls and other shops were closed on Sunday. Sshe was in her home cooking when the quake hit, forcing her and a cousin to evacuate.

"My cousin was in shock, she didn't move, didn't do anything, so I pulled her and we went to a soccer field that is near my house that is far from cables," she said.

After the quake, many residents slept outside because of concern their homes were unsafe as aftershocks continued through the night. The country's Geophysical Institute said it reported 154 aftershocks by early Sunday.

"It isn't just a building that collapsed, but an entire city collapsed," Gabriel Alcivar, the mayor of Pedernales, told the Teleamazonas television station late Saturday. He said that much of the town was flattened and people were trapped under the rubble.

"We are witnessing an enormous catastrophe," Mr. Alcivar added. "People are trapped...and we can't do anything."

Vice President Jorge Glas said the government declared a state of emergency and put the country's health system on maximum alert. Mr. Glas, who traveled to some of the hardest-hit areas early Sunday, said that 10,000 soldiers and 3,500 police were deployed to the most affected zones to maintain public order and assist in the rescue. He said at a news conference early Sunday that officials were able to reinstall electricity in some areas where the quake caused a blackout.

The government also said that it has $300 million in emergency funds to support its reconstruction efforts.

"No Ecuadorean is alone," Mr. Glas said Sunday. "We are a strong, supportive nation that is unified and that will come out of this emergency strengthened."

Latin American and European governments expressed support for Ecuador. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said his government would provide "any support it can," while Mexican President Enrique Peñ a Nieto expressed his solidarity with the government and residents affected by the quake. Government officials in Ecuador said that Mexican experts were being sent to help with the rescue.

Canadian Foreign Minister Sté phane Dion said two Canadians died in the quake. "I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the victims," he said in a statement. "Canadian officials at our embassy in Quito are reaching out to Canadian citizens in-country and providing assistance to Canadians affected by the earthquake."

Write to Ryan Dube at ryan.dube@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 17, 2016 20:25 ET (00:25 GMT)

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