A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Andes region of Peru late Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least six people. The tremor occurred at 9:24 p.m., with the US Geological Survey identifying the epicentre 2km west-south-west of Sicaya in Huancayo province at a depth of 10km.
Authorities confirmed that the disaster has left more than 30 people injured and displaced 300 residents. Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute stated that the total number of missing individuals remains unknown as search and recovery efforts continue. The quake caused significant structural damage to various buildings, including a local church and convent.
Luis Vásquez, head of the local civil defence office, told journalists that the use of rustic adobe materials in construction in that Andean area “has contributed to the greater impact and damage”. Peru is located along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where seismic activity is frequent.
The agricultural region of Chongo Bajo was among the hardest-hit areas, where local media broadcast images of victims' relatives huddled under blankets outside their damaged homes, with some animals trapped beneath the rubble. Residents like Hermenegilda Guamalato, who is now seeking shelter in the neighbouring district of Huayucachi with her three children, described the total destruction of her home to a local radio station.
The country has a history of major seismic events, including a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in 2007 that struck the province of Pisco in the Ica region, which resulted in nearly 600 deaths.
The US Geological Survey reported the quake struck on Saturday at 9.24pm, with its epicentre located 2km (1.2 miles) west-south-west of the city of Sicaya in Huancayo province. It was 10km (6.2 miles) deep.
