Ecuadorian President Correa orders to enforce building norms after earthquake

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Monday ordered local governments to comply with building norms, after evidence showed substandard buildings collapsed in the April 16 earthquake.

"Hundreds of lives were lost due to poor quality building materials. Previous construction norms were not complied with, far less the current ones," Correa wrote on his official Twitter account.

The head of state added that "our country has gone through its hardest week in years ... but now comes the stage of reconstruction, as well as responsibilities."

"The country must know the names of who, in order to save a few cents, built deadly traps, as well as what authorities permitted this. We cannot allow this to be forgotten," vowed Correa.

The earthquake, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, has left at least 655 dead, 4,605 injured, 48 missing, and 29,067 in shelters, according to the latest official estimate.

The current Ecuadorian Construction Norm (NEC) states all buildings must be earthquake-resistant, but informal construction proliferates in most of the country.

Experts blame many municipal governments for the problem, which do not comply with the norm and do not control building in their territory.

An initial evaluation of damage to housing, schools, and hospitals, released by the Ministry of National Planning on April 23 stated the cost would be exceed 1.3 billion dollars.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the UN are also carrying out their own investigations on this matter. Endit