Ten Latter-day Saints were counted among the hundreds killed in the earthquake that rocked the Ecuadorian coastline on Saturday, April 16. Thousands more were injured or left homeless by what is being called Ecuador's largest temblor in decades.
The Portoviejo Ecuador Stake was severely affected by the disaster. Five members of the stake died, including a branch president, his wife, and their daughter. Their names have not been released.
A dozen Mormon meetinghouses were also damaged during the magnitude-7.8 quake. As of Tuesday, it remained uncertain the degree of damage at the buildings or if they can be repaired.
The Church released a statement soon after the disaster.