5.5 magnitude earthquake hits Peru’s Andes region and kills at least 6 people
LIMA, Peru (AP) — A 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook the Andes region PeruAt least six people were killed, more than 30 were injured and 300 people were displaced, authorities said Sunday.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 9:24 p.m. Saturday and had its epicenter 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) west-southwest of the city of Sicaya in Huancayo province. It was 10 kilometers (6.21 mi) deep.
Peru’s National Civil Defense Institute said in a statement that the total number of casualties is still unknown. Numerous buildings collapsed or suffered structural damage, including the historic “Santiago de León” church and the former monastery in Chongos Bajo, built in 1565 and designated a national heritage site because it is a 16th-century “architectural gem”.
Luis Vásquez, head of the local civil defense department, told reporters that the use of rustic adobe materials in construction in the Andean region “contributes to greater impact and damage.”
Earthquakes occur frequently in Peru, which is located in the region called the “Ring of Fire” of the Pacific.
Images published by local media showed relatives of the victims grieving in the agricultural region of Chongos Bajo, one of the worst-hit areas, where residents huddled under blankets outside severely damaged homes. Animals were also seen under the rubble.
“My house is destroyed,” Hermenegilda Guamalato told a local radio station as she and her three children searched for a place to stay in the neighboring state of Huayucachi.
In 2007, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake occurred in the province of Pisco in the Ica region and approximately 600 people died.
