Ecuador quake death toll rises to 587

The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated parts of the Ecuadorian coast over the weekend has reached 587, including 27 foreigners, the government said Thursday.

The latest report of victims, issued at 4 p.m. local time (2100 GMT), said 539 of the victims have been identified and claimed by their families, while the identities of 48 of the bodies are still being investigated.

Among the 27 foreigners killed in the quake, which hit late Saturday, 10 are Colombian, six Cuban, two Canadian, two from the Dominican Republic, two from Britain, and one each from Italy, Germany, France, and Ireland. One has yet to be identified.

The deaths mainly occurred in 13 towns in Manabi, the coastal province worst hit by the quake, but also in a town in the Andean province of Chimborazo, two towns in the southwest coastal province of Guayas, and two towns in the northwest province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas.

Officials said 253 of the victims were men, 286 were women, and the gender of 48 unidentified victims has yet to be determined.

The number of injured stands at 5,733, with 163 reported missing.

Relief efforts and materials are urgently needed. By Thursday afternoon, a campaign launched by Ecuador's National Assembly had already gathered 377,197 U.S. dollars, according to a press release from the parliament. Endi