A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 struck the southern Andes Mountains in Peru, causing injuries to two individuals and significant damage to residences, medical facilities, and educational institutions, as confirmed by authorities. The seismic event, as indicated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), occurred at 1 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located 38 kilometers northwest of Upahuacho in the Parinacochas province of the Ayacucho region, at a depth of 66 kilometers.
The impact of the earthquake was widely felt across various regions in southern Peru, including Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac, Cusco, and even the capital city, Lima. Luis Vasquez, the head of Civil Defence, informed the media that two individuals sustained injuries while evacuating their residences in Coracora, the principal city of the Parinacochas province.
Authorities further disclosed that 22 households, six medical facilities, and a school suffered damage in multiple districts within Ayacucho and Cusco, encompassing localities such as Puquio, Pullo, Coracora, Upahuacho, San Pedro, and Pichari. Peru, being situated in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic events, with earthquakes being a common occurrence in the region.
Recalling a devastating incident from 2007, a massive earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, which occurred in a province of the Ica region, claimed the lives of nearly 600 individuals.