Powerful 6.7 earthquake shakes southern Peru
A powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck southern Peru on Thursday afternoon, triggering alarms across multiple regions, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), Anadolu reported.
The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP), meanwhile, reported a magnitude of 7.2.
The tremor occurred at 1 pm local time (1800 GMT) at an intermediate depth of 108 kilometers (67 miles). According to the IGP's National Seismological Center (CENSIS), the epicenter was located roughly 35 kilometers north of Coracora, in the province of Parinacochas within the department of Ayacucho.
Despite the high magnitude, Peruvian authorities and disaster risk agencies reported no immediate casualties or severe structural damage.
Geophysicists said the depth of 108 kilometers helped absorb much of the seismic energy before reaching the surface, resulting in a Mercalli intensity rating of III-IV ("light to moderate shaking") near the epicenter.
The earthquake was felt clearly across southern and central Peru, with shaking reported by residents as far as the capital city of Lima.
Earlier, it was reported that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit China.