Force of nature - Strong earthquake on Peru's coast
A heavy earthquake shook Peru's coast in the night. The US-Earthquake Monitoring Center USGS gave the magnitude as 7.2. Peru's Geophysical Institute (IGP) put the magnitude at 7.0. A tsunami warning for Peru's coast was issued by the local marine authority. It was later lifted hours later.
According to the Peruvian earthquake monitor, the earthquake occurred shortly after midnight (local time) in a depth of 42 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean, about 50 kilometers south-southwest of the coastal town of Yauca in South America. In the affected region of Arequipa, there were several smaller aftershocks.
Reports of structural damages were made, and according to the head of the National Civil Defense Institute, nine people were slightly injured. The newspaper "El Comercio" reported 14 injured.
The strong earthquake alarmed residents and caused them to leave their homes, said IGP Chief Hernando Tavera to radio station RPP. According to local media, the earthquake was also felt in the major cities of Ica and Lima.
In Peru, earthquakes occur frequently. The entire western coast of the American continents lies along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which is known for its high seismic activity.
The force of the earthquake was comparable to a force of nature, causing significant terror among locals. The US earthquake observatory USGS, noting the quake's severity, classified it as a powerful 7.2 on the Richter scale. Following the initial tsunami warning in Peru, a significant US earthquake in Alaska prompted another tsunami warning from the USGS.
