E-Paper
Peru earthquake: Scary videos show aftermath in Ayacucho as 6.7-magnitude quake shakes region
A powerful earthquake struck central Peru on Thursday. Watch videos here.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook Peru's southern Andes Mountains on Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage, as per AP.
The USGS said the quake occurred at 1pm local time (18:00 GMT) and was centered 38 kilometers (24 miles) northwest of the city of Upahuacho, in the Parinacochas province of the Ayacucho region. It had a depth of 66 kilometers (41 miles).
Also Read: Milwaukee fire update: What's burning in West Allis? Residents report explosion
No damage reported so far
The earthquake was felt in several regions of southern Peru, including Ica and Arequipa.
Luis Vasquez, head of Civil Defense, told local radio station RPP that “no damage of any kind has been reported so far.” Yony Reyes, mayor of Parinacochas province, said there also were no reports of damage in the provincial capital. The Peruvian Navy said there was no tsunami threat, as per AP.
Here are the videos:
Peru's history with earthquakes
Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, which is part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area of frequent seismic activity.
In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in a province of the Ica region left nearly 600 people dead, as per AP.
Tsunami not expected
The National Weather Service's Tsunami Alerts confirmed there is no tsunami expected following the magnitude 6.8 earthquake in central Peru, which occurred at 18:00 UTC on August 20.
How many people felt the shaking
Preliminary USGS estimates indicate that roughly 197,000 people felt moderate shaking, with areas near the epicenter, including Coracora, experiencing strong shaking.
Light shaking was reported in Cusco, a populous city in the Peruvian Andes that was once the capital of the Inca Empire, as well as in Ayacucho.
For the impacted region, which the USGS describes as containing “structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist,” preliminary estimates indicate a low likelihood of fatalities and economic losses, as per Fox Weather.
