Slideshow About 10,000 troops and 4,600 police were deployed to search for survivors following the powerful earthquake in Ecuador, with the official death toll rising to 233 on Sunday.

A 7.8 magnitude quake struck on Saturday evening off Ecuador’s coast about 200km from the capital Quito, causing widespread damage to local communities. The tremor was the strongest to hit the Andean country since 1979, and came only a day after a 7.3 magnitude quake struck Japan on the other side of the Pacific.

Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s president, declared a national emergency and cut short a visit to Rome, as he urged Ecuadoreans to stay strong while authorities handle the disaster. He said that support for the rescuers from neighbouring countries was on its way. “Immediate priority is to rescue those [trapped] among the rubble,” he said on Twitter.