In pictures: Ecuador earthquake kills at least 233

Photos show devestation and chaos following 7.8-magnitude earthquake

At least 77 people were killed when a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador, destroying buildings and a bridge and sending terrified residents dashing from their homes, authorities in the Latin American country said on April 17 (MARCOS PIN MENDEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Devastation can be seen at sites where a 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused massive destruction when it hit Ecuador’s central coast late on Saturday.

At least 233 people have died in the quake with more than 1,500 injuries having been recorded.

President Rafael Correa tweeted the latest death toll on Sunday, up from an initial count of 77 dead and 600 injured.

(REUTERS/Paul Ochoa ) (REUTERS/Paul Ochoa)

Damage to homes and shops in the city of Manta, which is home to over 200,000 people, can be seen here.

Homes and buildings have collapsed in many towns surrounding the epicentre of the earthquake, including the cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Guayaquil.

A state of emergency has been declared in six of Ecuador’s 24 provinces.

( EPA/Freddy Constante) (EPA/Freddy Constante)

A major overpass was damaged in the quake.

According to Vice President Jorge Glas, 14,000 security forces, 241 medical staff and two mobile hospitals were being rushed to the most devastated areas, with reinforcements arriving from Colombia and Mexico.

The Security Ministry said on Twitter that “Every emergency protocol has been activated”.

Emergency workers can be seen here rescuing a woman from the rubble of the collapsed Hotel Umina in Manta, according to the user.

President Raffael Correa said special earthquake teams have also been brought in from Mexico and Colombia.

(Ariel Ochoa/AFP/Getty Images)

Rescue workers can be seen attempting to pull survivors from the debris as the death toll continues to rise.

Injured people are treated in the street outside a hospital in the coastal city of Bahía de Caráquez.

Gabriel Alcivar, mayor of Pedernales, a town near the epicentre of the earthquake, pleaded for emergency rescue to be sent to help residents trapped beneath the rubble of dozens of collapsed buildings.

“We’re trying to do the most we can but there’s almost nothing we can do,” said Mayor Alcivar. “This wasn’t just a house that collapsed, it was an entire town.”

(REUTERS/Paul Ochoa)

Photo shows citizens of Manta standing amongst the rubble of collapsed homes.

President Correa has urged Ecuador’s 16 million citizens to remain calm.

Authorities said there had been 163 aftershocks, mainly in the Pedernales area.