At least 12 people were killed and several buildings were damaged by the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck western Ecuador on Saturday. The earthquake was also felt in northern Peru.

The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, asked citizens to remain calm and assured that crews have been mobilized in the affected areas to provide assistance to those in need.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8 (6.7 according to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center). Its epicenter was located at a distance of about 10 kilometers from the city of Balao, Gaya province, and the focal depth is estimated at 66 kilometers.

Ecuador’s presidential office says 11 people died in El Oro province and one death was reported in Asuai province, while several injured have been hospitalized. Homes, schools and health centers have been damaged, while roads have been blocked by landslides. Santa Rosa Airport sustained limited damage but remained operational.

The Disaster Management Secretariat said in a statement that a wall collapsed and crushed a vehicle, killing one person in the city of Cuenca. In the community of Matsala, three people were killed and buildings collapsed, while many villages were left without electricity. Damage was also reported in other areas, such as a supermarket where a wall collapsed.

According to the Secretariat, state-owned oil company Petroecuador suspended operations and evacuated many of its facilities as a precaution.

“We all ran out into the street … we were very scared,” said Ernesto Alvarado, a resident of Isla Punia, an island near the epicenter where some houses collapsed.

The initial earthquake was followed by two smaller aftershocks.

In Peru, the earthquake was felt in the northern provinces but there are currently no reports of damage or casualties.