An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 struck the southern Andes Mountains in Peru, causing damage to homes, health centers, and schools, and injuring at least two individuals, officials confirmed. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stated that the earthquake occurred at 1 p.m. local time, centered 38 kilometers northwest of Upahuacho in the Parinacochas province of Ayacucho, with a depth of 66 kilometers.
The seismic event was felt across various regions in southern Peru, including Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac, Cusco, and even the capital city of Lima. Luis Vasquez, the head of Civil Defence, informed the press that two people sustained injuries while evacuating their homes in Coracora, the provincial capital of Parinacochas.
Authorities reported significant damage to 22 residences, six medical facilities, and a school in multiple districts of Ayacucho and Cusco, encompassing Puquio, Pullo, Coracora, Upahuacho, San Pedro, and Pichari. Peru experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for high seismic activity.
In a tragic event in 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Ica region resulted in the loss of nearly 600 lives.