New magnitude-6.1 earthquake hits Ecuador

A fresh tremor rattled Ecuador before dawn Wednesday, a magnitude-6.1 jolt that set babies crying and adults pouring into the streets, fearful of yet more damage following a monster earthquake over the weekend.

It was the strongest aftershock yet following the magnitude-7.8 quake that killed more than 500 people.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor was centered offshore, 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of the devastated beach town of Muisne, at 3:33 a.m. local time (4:33 EDT; 0833 GMT).

The new aftershock led some people in Portoviejo to abandon homes, even those with no apparent damage, and head through the night toward a former airport where temporary shelters have been set up.

The National Prosecutors Office put the death toll at 525 on Wednesday - up from a previous official toll of 507 - but officials expected more bodies to be found, with the Defense Department reporting Tuesday that more than 200 people were still missing.

The office said on its official Twitter account Wednesday that there were at least 11 foreigners among the dead. It said that of the 525 fatal victims, 15 people remained unidentified but none was foreign.

The office said 435 of the dead were found in the Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales areas.