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(Image: GETTY)

The 6.2-magnitude tremor happened just off the Pacific coast of the South American country – according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The quake was centred 44 miles west-southwest of Esmeraldas city at a shallow 6.2-mile depth.

Witnesses for news agency Reuters said they felt two strong tremors lasting about 30 seconds that woke people up and sent them racing down into the street.

There is no official tsunami warning yet.

But it was not felt in the highland capital of Quito.

It comes just three days after a 7.8-magnitude Ecuador earthquake rocked the country leading to the deaths of at least 480 victims.

The latest rumble will feed into fears over "the big one" – suspicions that these series of Pacific earthquakes are leading to four major tremors of above an 8.0 magnitude.

(Image: GETTY) (Image: GETTY)

Japan is also picking up the pieces after at least two earthquakes near Kumamoto in Kyushu killed at least 47 people.

Ecuador is already desperately trying to recover and rebuild after the most monumental earthquake to hit the country since 1979 and its "worst tragedy in 60 years".

The thunderous tremors pounded the sparcely-populated north coast towns of Muisne and Pedernales but still destroyed buildings in Guayaquil city.

The weekend quake killed also left 107 missing and injured more than 4,600.

Around 1,500 buildings were damaged, mudslides were triggered and roads torn up in a major blow to the South American OPEC country's already fragile economy.

It left some 20,500 people sleeping in shelters, according to the government.

President Rafael Correa said it inflicted $2 billion to $3 billion of damage to the oil-dependent economy.