Strong 6.7-magnitude quake strikes southern Peru: USGS

LIMA: A solid 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck southern Peru on Thursday, US seismologists stated, with authorities reporting minor injuries to three individuals, according to a preliminary report.

Key points

• The epicenter of the quake was located regarding 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Upahuacho, and almost 800 kilometers from the capital Lima.
• The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) put the magnitude at 7.2 and remarked the quake occurred at a depth of 108 kilometers.
• A 4.2-magnitude aftershock was additionally felt at 4: 30 pm local time, the IGP noted.
• As office-holders continue making damage assessments, in Peru, at least 22 homes, six schools and 12 medical centers have been impacted by the quake, the preliminary report discovered.
• Emergency teams have been deployed to the Andean towns of Puquio and Coracora.

For context, the epicenter of the quake was located regarding 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Upahuacho, and almost 800 kilometers from the capital Lima. It struck at 1 pm local time (1800 GMT), at a depth of 99 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Peru's earthquake follows two major quakes in the region since June: a double earthquake in Venezuela on June 24 that killed over 6, 400 individuals and a powerful tremor in Colombia last week that left almost 300 individuals dead.

For context, the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) put the magnitude at 7.2 and remarked the quake occurred at a depth of 108 kilometers.

Images broadcast by Peruvian media indicated rocks and earth tumbling down hills around Coracora in Ayacucho region, the closest town to the epicenter. It has a population of concerning 10, 000.

"The population has responded. They evacuated and took shelter, " the town's mayor Yony Odon informed state television in a telephone call, saying he was hopeful there was no major damage.

In practice, the earthquake "was felt with moderate to strong intensity in several departments, " the National Institute of Civil Defense wrote on X.

Meanwhile, a 4.2-magnitude aftershock was additionally felt at 4: 30 pm local time, the IGP noted.

Although with lesser intensity, AFP journalists stated, the tremor was additionally felt in Cusco, Arequipa and even Lima.

For now, strong 6.7-magnitude quake strikes southern Peru: USGS remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.