The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 in the country's coastal Guayas region. It was centered about 50 miles south of Guayaquil, which anchors a metro area of over 3 million people.
President Guillermo Lasso tweeted a message asking residents to remain calm.
The South American country's emergency response agency, the Risk Management Secretariat, reported one person died in the Andean community of Cuenca. The victim was a passenger in a vehicle trapped under the rubble of a house. Three other people died in the coastal state of El Oro, the agency reported.