1949 Ambato earthquake
The 1949 Ambato earthquake was the largest earthquake in the Western Hemisphere in more than five years. On August 5, 1949, it struck Ecuador’s Tungurahua Province southeast of its capital Ambato and killed 5,050 people. Several major earthquakes have occurred throughout the country since 1949, including the 1987 Ecuador earthquakes and the 1997 Ecuador earthquake.
