Three days after Ecuador quake, hopes for survivors dwindle

A man searches for his belongings among the debris of his house in Jama, following the earthquake which struck off Ecuador's Pacific coast, April 19, 2016. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja

PEDERNALES, Ecuador (Reuters) - Rescuers in Ecuador were losing hope on Tuesday of finding more survivors from an earthquake that killed nearly 500 people and dealt a shattering blow to the South American OPEC country's already fragile economy.

Praying for miracles, distraught family members beseeched rescue teams to find missing loved ones as they used dogs, bare hands and excavators to hunt through debris of flattened homes, hotels and stores in the hardest-hit Pacific coastal region.