Authorities in Ecuador have declared a state of emergency after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake rocked the area late Saturday, April 16, 2016 leaving at least 77 dead and nearly 600 injured.

Amid a cluster of flattened buildings and ravaged towns, authorities feared there could be more causalities once all the damage caused by strongest quake to hit the area in nearly four decades is known.

According to Vice President Jorge Glas, the deadly quake struck just before 8 p.m. eastern time and shortly after that a state of emergency was declared in the nearby provinces of Esmeraldas, Los Rios, Manabi, Santa Elena, Guayas and Santo Domingo.

Embassy Providing Information About Those Checking on Loved Ones

The UK Foreign Office has now issued a travel advisory for the area and listed several Embassy numbers for those concerned about family members to phone in hopes of gathering more information. The Ecuadorian government has also already activated a $300 million emergency fund to help victims and all rescue efforts.

Currently, as many as 10,000 military officers and 3,500 police have now being deployed to aid victims and patrol the surrounding areas. In addition, the Home Ministry announced 4,000 officers were being sent to the scene, along with five helicopters and 80 buses.

"We're trying to do the most we can, but there's almost nothing we can do," lamented Pedernales Mayor Gabriel Alcivar, alluding to all the landslides that are now making navigation treacherous.

Throughout the night in Pedernales, a town of about 40,000, men could be seen desperately trying to dig out loved ones and strangers alike, all of whom had been trapped under mounds of still falling rubble.

Authorities Asking for More Assistance

Alcivar later pleaded for authorities to send more heavy machinery and rescue workers to help clear away all the destruction.

"This wasn't just a house that collapsed, it was an entire town," he said.

All the mayhem comes just days after a pair of magnitude-6-5 quakes shook the southwestern region of Japan, leaving at least 41 dead. Around Ecuador, officials have canceled all sporting events and concerts and emergency shelters and portable hospitals now line the streets.

All mobile operators have also announced they are allowing free text messages for customers looking to reach out to loved ones across the area.

Related