LIMA, Peru: A magnitude 6.7 earthquake has struck Peru’s southern Andes, injuring at least two people and damaging homes, health centres and a school, authorities say.
The earthquake struck at about 1 pm local time on Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey. Its epicentre was located 38km (24 miles) north-west of Upahuacho in the Parinacochas province of the Ayacucho region, at a depth of 66km (41 miles).
The tremor was felt across several parts of southern Peru, including Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac and Cusco. It was also felt in the capital, Lima.
Damage reported
Luis Vásquez, head of Civil Defence, said two people were injured while evacuating their homes in Coracora, the capital of Parinacochas province.
Authorities reported damage to 22 homes, six health centres and a school across several districts in Ayacucho and Cusco.
The affected areas included Puquio, Pullo, Coracora, Upahuacho, San Pedro and Pichari.
Rockfalls were also reported on hillsides near Coracora, Mr Vásquez said.
The Peruvian Navy said there was no threat of a tsunami following the earthquake.
Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire
Peru experiences frequent earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of intense seismic activity surrounding much of the Pacific Ocean.
The region is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because of the movement and collision of tectonic plates beneath the Pacific.
Peruvian authorities are continuing to assess the extent of the damage.
In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in a province of the Ica region left nearly 600 people dead.
