AFP/Getty ImagesImage

At least 413 people are now known to have died in the earthquake that struck Ecuador, the country’s government says, the BBC  reports.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck Ecuador’s Pacific coast on Saturday, and the search for survivors continues.

The cost of rebuilding is likely to be in the billions of dollars, President Rafael Correa said during a visit to the worst-affected region.

He said it was the biggest tragedy to hit Ecuador in the past seven decades. Some 2,500 people were injured.