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Bay Area Couple Survives Deadly Ecuador 7.8 Earthquake

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- A couple on vacation from the Bay Area survived the powerful earthquake that killed hundreds of people in Ecuador.

"We're from the Bay Area, we feel earthquakes. But this was pretty intense, more than anything we've felt in the Bay Area," Gandelman told KCRA.

Alice Gandelman and Bill Freedman were vacationing on Ecuador's west coast in San Clemente, just 20 miles from the epicenter of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

"A lot of the buildings here are made of cement.  And the sidewalls had crumbled down, bricks crumbled down on the side," Freedman said.

Alice and Bill are both healthcare professionals.  Alice's sister Joyce spoke with KPIX 5 from her Modesto home.  Joyce said her sister described the ordeal as "surreal."

Alice's family is working with the American Embassy to try to coordinate their safe return.

The couple rode out the quake that left hundreds of people dead, and injured thousands.  Many people were left trapped in the dark under rubble.

"We were really kind of scared because there was a tsunami alert.  We didn't know how serious that was. We didn't have a way to go back and get our stuff.  So if a tsunami had happened, I don't think we would have got out," Freedman said.

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