Earthquake Strikes Southern Peru

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook Peru's southern Andes Mountains on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The quake struck at 1 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT) and was centered 38 kilometers (24 miles) northwest of the city of Upahuacho, in the Parinacochas province of the Ayacucho region, at a depth of 66 kilometers (41 miles).

The earthquake was felt across several regions of southern Peru, including Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac, and Cusco, as well as in the capital, Lima, which is about 300 miles (482 km) away, as reported by the BBC.

Injuries and Damage Reported

Initial reports on casualties and damage varied. The Associated Press, citing Luis Vásquez, head of Civil Defense, reported that two people were injured while evacuating their homes in Coracora, the capital of Parinacochas province. The BBC, citing Peru's defence minister Rafael Belaunde and the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio, reported that three people had been hurt but did not suffer serious injuries.

Authorities reported damage to 22 homes, six health centers, and a school across several districts in Ayacucho and Cusco, including Puquio, Pullo, Coracora, Upahuacho, San Pedro, and Pichari, according to the Associated Press. The BBC added that damage was reported at 10 healthcare facilities in the Ayacucho region and two in the Cusco region, though services remained operational, according to Peru's National Institute of Civil Defence. Around 9,000 properties also lost power, and nine educational facilities were damaged, the BBC reported.

Luis Vásquez also reported rockfalls on hillsides near Coracora, the Associated Press said.

Magnitude Discrepancy and Tsunami Ruling

While the USGS measured the earthquake at magnitude 6.7, Peru's Geophysical Institute recorded it as magnitude 7.2, as noted by Deutsche Welle and the BBC. The discrepancy was highlighted in initial reports, with Deutsche Welle noting the differing measurements.

The Peruvian Navy ruled out a tsunami threat, according to multiple sources including the Associated Press, Deutsche Welle, and ABC7 Los Angeles.

Regional Context

Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, which lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area of frequent seismic activity, as noted by the Associated Press, Deutsche Welle, ABC7, and The Hindu. In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Ica region left nearly 600 people dead, the Associated Press and others recalled.

The BBC also placed Thursday's earthquake in the context of recent seismic activity in South America, noting a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia on 10 August that prompted a state of emergency and a death toll of more than 300, and twin earthquakes in Venezuela on 24 June with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 that killed more than 6,000 people, according to local authorities.