A strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck northern Ecuador late Sunday in the same area devastated by a powerful quake in mid-April, the US Geological Service that monitors quakes worldwide said.

The quake's epicenter was 41 kilometers (25.5 miles) south of the town of Propicia -- located next to the quake-devastated coastal town of Esmeraldas -- and 154 kilometers (96 miles) northwest of the capital Quito, the USGS said.