Three people rescued five days after Ecuador earthquake

Three survivors were found alive five days after Ecuador earthquake, under the rubble in the area known as "ground zero" in Tarqui, Manta Mayor Jorge Zambrano said on Thursday.

"Last night we saved three more people but today we could only find corpses," he told local media.

"I still hope that we can find someone alive under the rubble," he said. "We have to work very carefully, with utmost care."

The latest quake hit Ecuador on Thursday, measuring 6.0, as an earlier deadly quake had killed 587 people.

US Geological Survey said that the latest quake hit about 100 km (62 miles) north-northwest of Portoviejo and at a depth of 10 km (six miles),

There were no immediate reports of damage and there was no tsunami warning.

The first quake, a 7.8 magnitude one, struck off the Pacific coast on Saturday and was felt around the Andean nation of 16 million people, causing panic as far away as the highland capital Quito and collapsing buildings and roads in a swath of western towns.

President Rafael Correa rushed home from a trip to Italy to supervise the emergency efforts. "The immediate priority is to rescue people in the rubble," he said. "Everything can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be recovered, and that's what hurts the most."

The government quickly moved supplies to the main towns and set up shelters for more than 25,000 people in soccer stadiums and airports, but shattered roads have impeded the operation.