A 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Peru without fatalities, according to first reports

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Pacific coast of Peru early Friday morning. According to initial official reports, there were no fatalities, but some minor injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 00:36 (0536 GMT) on Friday. The epicenter was located 28 kilometers (17 miles) deep in the Pacific Ocean, 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of the coast of the district of Atiquipa, in the province of Caravelí, 634 kilometers (390 miles) south of the capital, Lima, and near the borders with Chile and Bolivia.

“We are making the first evaluations and thank God at this time we have no fatalities recorded,” said the Prime Minister of Peru, Gustavo Adrianzén, to local radio RPP, although he added that there is “damage to some properties.”

Peru is a country prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Peruvian Navy’s Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation reported that the earthquake generated a tsunami warning on the Peruvian coast.

Adrianzén later said that the Navy’s tsunami warning was discarded, “although there could be some abnormal waves.”

The head of the disaster risk management directorate of the Ministry of Health, David Aponte, said for his part that three minor injuries had been reported.

At least four aftershocks with magnitudes between 4.0 and 4.6 were recorded in the Arequipa region after the quake, according to the Peruvian Geophysical Institute (IGP).

Carlos Zanabria, an adviser to the Arequipa regional government, said residents had fled their homes in fear and some material damage was reported in some districts.

The mayor of the Yauca district, Flavio Aranguren, said that in his community “some walls of some houses have fallen, although so far there have been no deaths.”

Small artisanal gold mines operate in the town of Yauca and other neighboring towns near the coast, but there was no information available until now about any impact.

Ricardo Guillén, representative of the COEN, stated for his part that there have been power outages and telephone lines in areas near the epicenter of the earthquake.

Peru, a major mineral producer, is located in a region of high seismicity facing the Nazca tectonic plate in the Pacific Ocean.

[Con información de Reuters y AP]

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.