A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Peru’s Andes region late Saturday, killing at least five people, injuring more than 20, and displacing around 300 residents, local authorities said Sunday.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at 9:24 pm local time, with its epicentre roughly 2 kilometres west-southwest of Sicaya, in Huancayo province, at a depth of 10 kilometres. Several buildings collapsed or suffered structural damage, including a local church and convent, with the agricultural region of Chongo Bajo among the hardest hit.
Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute said the total number of missing remains unknown as search efforts continue in the mountainous terrain. Local civil defence official Luis Vásquez said the widespread use of rustic adobe construction in the area worsened the damage.
No tsunami warning was issued. Peru sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent seismic activity.
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