Quito (Ecuador), Apr 25 (AP) A strong 6.3 earthquake off Ecuador's Pacific coast shook the northern part of the country Friday, with some initial reports of some damages to houses. No injuries were reported.

The earthquake was centred in the Pacific Ocean 20.9 km northeast of the city of Esmeraldas, and it had a depth of 35 km, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Also Read | Who Is Cardinal Roger Mahony? Here's Why the Vatican's Decision To Include Former Archbishop of Los Angeles in Pope Francis' Funeral Is Drawing Criticism.

Ecuador's risk management office said on X that the earthquake was felt in at least 10 provinces, but it's still monitoring and assessing the situation.

Some local media showed images of Esmeraldas, the coastal town in the Pacific closest to the epicentre, where the facades of some houses suffered damage.

Also Read | Pahalgam Terror Attack: Pakistani Nationals Will Be Sent Back, Action on Those Staying Illegally, Says Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara.

Esmeraldas is more than 296 km northwest of Quito, Ecuador's capital.

Ecuadorean authorities initially issued a tsunami alert for the Pacific coast, but it was cancelled a little later. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)