Peru Earthquake 6.7 Shakes Southern Andes, Injures Three People

Peru – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – A powerful Peru earthquake 6.7 struck the country’s southern Andes on Thursday, leaving three people with minor injuries, officials confirmed.

The quake hit at 1 pm local time, with its center located about 40 kilometers northwest of Upahuacho town. That puts it nearly 800 kilometers from Lima, the capital.

US seismologists recorded the depth at 99 kilometers below the surface. Peru’s own Geophysical Institute gave a slightly higher reading, placing the magnitude at 7.2 and the depth at 108 kilometers.

This latest tremor comes soon after two other major quakes shook the region. Venezuela suffered a deadly double earthquake in June that claimed over 6,400 lives. Colombia was hit last week, losing nearly 300 people.

In Peru, damage reports are still coming in. So far, at least 22 homes have been affected. Six schools and a dozen medical centers also sustained damage as officials continue assessing the situation.

Rescue and emergency teams rushed to the Andean towns of Puquio and Coracora right after the shaking stopped. News footage from Peru showed rocks and soil sliding down hillsides near Coracora, the town closest to the quake’s center. Around 10,000 people live there.

Local mayor Yony Odon shared that residents acted quickly and calmly. He told state television that people evacuated their homes and moved to safer areas. He added he was hopeful that serious damage had been avoided.

Peru’s Civil Defense agency said the earthquake was felt strongly across several departments. A smaller aftershock, measuring 4.2 in magnitude, followed later that afternoon.

The shaking also reached far beyond the epicenter. Residents in Cusco, Arequipa, and even Lima reported feeling the tremor, though with much less intensity than areas closer to the source.