A seismic event with a magnitude of 6.7 rattled Peru’s southern Andes Mountains on Thursday, causing injuries to two individuals and inflicting damage on residences, medical facilities, and educational institutions, as confirmed by officials. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) specified that the tremor occurred at 1 p.m. local time, originating 38 kilometers northwest of Upahuacho city in the Parinacochas province of Ayacucho. It reached a depth of 66 kilometers.
The impact of the earthquake was felt across various areas in southern Peru, encompassing Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac, Cusco, and even Lima, the capital city. Luis Vasquez, the Civil Defence leader, informed the media that two individuals sustained injuries while vacating their residences in Coracora, the principal city of Parinacochas province.
Authorities also documented destruction to 22 houses, six medical facilities, and a school in multiple regions of Ayacucho and Cusco, including Puquio, Pullo, Coracora, Upahuacho, San Pedro, and Pichari. Peru encounters frequent seismic events due to its location within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for high seismic activity.
In a previous seismic incident in 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Ica region resulted in the tragic loss of nearly 600 lives.