Two earthquakes leave at least six dead and 21 injured in central Peru
Two earthquakes struck Peru’s Junín region, killing at least six people, injuring 21 and damaging dozens of adobe homes in Chupaca province.
- Two earthquakes in central Peru's Chupaca province resulted in at least six deaths and 21 injuries.
- The tremors registered magnitudes of 5.1 and 3.7, striking a mountainous area about 300 kilometres east of Lima.
- The quakes destroyed approximately 48 homes and damaged 18 others, affecting around 300 people.
Two earthquakes struck a mountainous area of central Peru on Saturday night, leaving at least six people dead and 21 injured.
The tremors hit Chupaca province in the Junín region, about 300 kilometres east of Lima. Peru’s National Seismological Centre recorded magnitudes of 5.1 and 3.7, with the first earthquake occurring at a depth of 24km and the second at 18km.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre had earlier estimated the first earthquake’s magnitude at 5.6.
Preliminary assessments found that about 48 homes had been destroyed and a further 18 damaged, according to Luis Vásquez, head of Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute.
Around 300 people have been affected and are being provided with tents. Many homes in the affected communities are basic structures built from adobe blocks.
Emergency crews and firefighters reached the area early on Sunday to remove debris as authorities investigated whether more victims could be trapped beneath damaged buildings.
Peru is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly seismically active zone that accounts for about 85% of the world’s earthquake activity.
Source: Reuters
