Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook Peru’s southern Andes on Thursday. The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 1 PM local time (1800 GMT). Its epicentre was located about 38 kilometres (24 miles) north-west of Upahuacho in Parinacochas province, in the Ayacucho region, at a depth of 66.7 kilometres.
The tremor was felt across parts of southern Peru, including the regions of Ica and Arequipa.
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Luis Vasquez, head of Civil Defence, told local radio station RPP that “no damage of any kind has been reported so far”. Yony Reyes, mayor of Parinacochas province, also said there were no reports of damage in the provincial capital.
The Peruvian Navy said the earthquake did not pose a tsunami threat. Authorities continued assessing the situation after the quake, with officials monitoring potentially affected areas.
PERU’S HISTORY OF DEADLY EARTHQUAKES
Peru experiences frequent earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, one of the world’s most active seismic zones. The country has suffered several devastating earthquakes in the past. In August 2007, an earthquake off the central coast measured 8.0 magnitude and caused widespread destruction around Pisco, Chincha Alta and Ica. The disaster killed 519 people and injured more than 1,000, according to a scientific study of the event.
The latest earthquake was significantly weaker and struck deeper inland, with authorities reporting no immediate major damage.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
