A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck just a few miles off Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The strong tremor has shaken northern parts of the South American nation, with initial reports suggesting some houses have been damaged.

No injuries have been reported so far after the tremor, with the epicentre being 13 miles north-eastern of the city of Esmereldas. The United States Geological Survey is reporting the quake had a depth of 21.7 miles.

Posting on X, Ecuador’s risk management office confirmed that at least 10 provinces have been affected by the earthquake, and that they are still keeping tabs on the situation.

A tsunami alert was initially issued for the Pacific coast, but it was cancelled a little later.

Some local media showed pictures of Esmeraldas, the coastal town in the Pacific closest to the epicentre, where some homes have suffered damage, AP reports.

Esmeraldas is more than 183 miles north-west of Quito, Ecuador’s capital.

Last month, the city of Esmereldas was hit by another emergency on March 26 when a dam, that was helping to contain some of the 25,000 barrels of oil spilled by a pipeline rupture, collapsed worsening the environmental emergency in the regoin, with rivers and Pacific beaches contaminated.