A strong earthquake jolted the central Andes mountains of Peru late Saturday, killing at least five people and injuring 21 as it demolished homes and damaged public buildings, sparking rescue operations in parts of the region.
The magnitude 5.1 quake struck at 9:24 p.m. Local time with an epicentre located about seven kilometres (4.3 miles) south of the town of Chupaca, according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP).
Its centre was found about 24 kilometres (15 miles) underground near Chongos Bajo, a rural Andean district roughly 300 kilometres (186 miles) east of Lima, where authorities reported the most severe destruction.
All five victims died in the Pumpunya neighbourhood of Chongos Bajo, where adobe homes crumbled when the 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit, according to police and local authorities who are still searching through the debris for anyone possibly trapped.
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Twenty-one others were injured, many by the trauma of building collapses and falling debris. First responders fanned out into the worst-hit areas and local hospitals switched into emergency mode.
In addition to the human toll, the earthquake tore through residential homes, clinics, churches and part of a road system in the Junn region, leaving tens of thousands of people without power in Huancayo, Chupaca and other areas. Images shared by Peruvian emergency services show collapsed houses and damage to public spaces.
Peru’s National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) has dispatched firefighters, police, and military personnel to aid in search and rescue efforts, with officials setting up temporary shelters for displaced families and quickly assessing the extent of the damage. They advised people to stay outdoors if they feel safe until authorities can assess buildings.
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The quake is a harsh reminder of Peru’s exposure to natural disasters. Situated in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area with constant seismic and volcanic activity where the Nazca tectonic plate subducts beneath the South American Plate, the South American nation is hit by thousands of earthquakes each year.
A powerful magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit the southern Peruvian coast in 2007, leaving nearly 600 people dead, over 2,000 injured and damaging or destroying some 7,500 homes.
While that disaster spurred an improvement in Peru’s seismic planning and disaster response capabilities, many rural and vulnerable areas still utilize traditional adobe housing that is particularly susceptible to seismic destruction.
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Emergency management officials said they were still evaluating damage in and around Chongos Bajo and that the death toll could change as searches continued. Engineers were dispatched to examine schools and hospitals for structural safety.
