A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 struck the southern Andes Mountains of Peru, causing injuries to two individuals and widespread damage to residences, medical facilities, and educational institutions. The seismic event, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), occurred at 1 p.m. local time, centered 38 kilometers northwest of Upahuacho city in the Ayacucho region’s Parinacochas province, with a depth of 66 kilometers.
The tremor was felt across various regions in southern Peru, including Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac, Cusco, and even in the capital city of Lima. Civil Defence spokesperson, Luis Vasquez, confirmed that two people sustained injuries while evacuating their homes in Coracora, the provincial capital of Parinacochas.
Authorities indicated 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, situated within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic activities, with a tragic example being the 2007 earthquake in the Ica region, which resulted in the loss of nearly 600 lives.
