QUITO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A 5.7-magnitude earthquake in northern Ecuador left two people dead and injured another 15 on Monday, as it caused substantial material damage.

The quake shook the country's Esmeraldas province, which lies along the northern coast and border with Colombia, the Secretariat of Risk Management (SGR) said.

Some 10 buildings were toppled by the quake and successive aftershocks, while 65 buildings sustained damage,

The 5.7-magnitude temblor occurred at 2:11 a.m. local time (07:11 GMT), and was located off the coast of Atacames, in Esmeraldas, at a depth of 5.2 kilometers.

It was followed by 36 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 2.4 to 4.6, Ecuador's Geophysics Institute said.