QUITO, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- A strong earthquake struck Ecuador's Pacific region on Thursday, but no casualties or damage were reported, authorities said.

    The quake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, jolted Guayas and Manabi provinces on the Pacific coast around 10:15 p.m. local time (03:15 GMT Friday), Ecuador's Geophysics Institute said.

    The quake is the strongest to hit Ecuador in recent years, it said.

    The epicenter of the tremor was 280 km southeast of the capital Quito, in areas bordering Peru.

    The quake was strongly felt in Quito and the largest city of Guayaquil. Local television said the quake lasted about 25 seconds, sending residents running from their homes in panic.

    The latest quake hit after a magnitude-7.7 quake jolted northern Chile on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring more than 140.

    The Pacific coastlines of Chile, Peru and Ecuador rank among the world's most seismically active regions.