Ecuador declares national mourning as quake death toll surpasses 650

The Ecuadorian government on Saturday declared eight days of national mourning as the death toll from the massive earthquake that hit the South American country a week ago has risen to 654.

"Due to the loss of lives, the suffering of families, I will sign a decree on national mourning of eight days in memory of those victims," President Rafael Correa said in his weekly TV broadcast.

"This has been a national tragedy, but we will move forward," he said. "It's a big tragedy, but the Ecuadorians' will to move forward is even bigger."

Noting that 113 people have been pulled out alive, he also expressed gratitude to the more than two dozen countries that have dispatched rescue teams to his country over the past week.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the April 16 temblor, the deadliest to strike the country in 70 years, continued to rise.

In the latest official update, 654 people have been confirmed killed and 16,601 injured, while 68 remain missing and 25,640 are staying in shelters. In addition, the 7.8-magnitude earthquake destroyed 9,730 buildings in the provinces of Manabi and Esmeraldas.

An official evaluation of 10 cities in Manabi, the province that took the brunt of the tremor, showed that 1 million people were affected, of whom 42.3 percent live in poverty. It also found that 70 percent of houses in these cities are vulnerable, with faults and weaknesses.

The total cost, according to government officials, is expected to be known in six weeks after international organizations complete their technical assessments. Endi