Ecuador Quake 'Deathtrap' Perpetrators Will Face Jail: Correa

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa announced the government is prepared to press charges against those responsible for building poorly designed infrastructure in light of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country on April 16, killing hundreds and injuring thousands more.

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“There are individuals who acted with the intention to save a few extra pennies, and by doing so constructed death traps that were approved by local authorities,” President Correa stated via Twitter.

In the days after the earthquake, recovery officials reported numerous instances of poorly built housing structures. Initial government reports state that 805 buildings were destroyed and 608 were damaged. Meanwhile, preliminary surveys indicate that at least 119 schools have been damaged or collapsed.

Experts estimate this number is likely to grow over the next few weeks once assessments of building and infrastructure begin.

“We know how to build better. Lives will be saved if we do this before another earthquake strikes,” said disaster response specialist Dr. Kit Miyamoto of Miyamoto International.