A powerful earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale struck the southern Andes Mountains of Peru on Thursday, causing injuries to two individuals and significant damage to residences, medical facilities, and educational institutions, as per authorities. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the tremor 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 seismic event was felt across various southern Peruvian regions, including Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac, Cusco, and the capital city of Lima. Civil Defence chief Luis Vasquez confirmed that two individuals sustained injuries while evacuating their residences in Coracora, the provincial capital of Parinacochas.
Authorities mentioned that 22 houses, six medical facilities, and a school in multiple districts of Ayacucho and Cusco, such as Puquio, Pullo, Coracora, Upahuacho, San Pedro, and Pichari, suffered damage. Peru experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for high seismic activity. Notably, in 2007, a devastating magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Ica region claimed the lives of nearly 600 individuals.