Ecuador quake survivors share powerful stories of survival

'I was yelling and yelling and then, at the end, I started to think I would die there.'

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated sections of Ecuador and left the death count at over 300 people.

Over 2,000 destroyed buildings and ruined roads have been reported - and now survivors are sharing their harrowing experiences.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - As the death toll rises, families have started to dig with their bare hands to find loved ones trapped under decimated buildings.

As first responders attempted to dig through a partially destroyed house in search of three children and a man, 18-year-old Isaac told firemen, "My little cousins are inside. Before, there were noises, screams. We must find them."

Another citizen, Jorge Espinel, explained, "I have to take some advantage from this horrible tragedy. I need money to buy food. There's no water, no light, and my house was destroyed."

Filerma Rayo, another survivor, recounted her tale of survival beneath her restaurant: "I was yelling and yelling and then, at the end, I started to think I would die there. It was my siblings who saved us, the rescue teams hadn't arrived yet."

She explained her three brothers and sisters traveled to the restaurant in search of Rayo and her husband, who sustained head injuries.

Betty Reyna, who was forced to spend the night with her family beneath a gas station awning, explained, "There's nothing left of the houses and nowhere safe to stay." While she continues the search, Reyna has yet to find her parents or daughter, though they were able to contact each other and share no one was hurt with the exception of her father, who suffered head injuries.

Angelica Valencia held a gallon of water and stayed close to her three children as she recalled, "It was only after the earthquake finished that we could get out of the house. It was terrifying, and now we're sleeping on the street."

Luis Flores stated, "You can still hear people calling for help - we can't get to them. What can we do?"

Ecuador's President, Rafael Correa, returned early from a trip to Italy and Vice President Jorge Glas flew into the disaster zone within hours of the massive earthquake.

"No Ecuadoran is alone," Glas tweeted. "We will come out of this emergency stronger."

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