A powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck southern Peru, according to U.S. seismologists, prompting reports of falling rocks near the epicenter but no immediate confirmation of deaths or major damage.
The quake was centered about 40 kilometers northwest of Upahuacho, nearly 800 kilometers from Lima, and occurred at a depth of 66 kilometers, the United States Geological Survey said.
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Peru’s Geophysical Institute recorded the earthquake at magnitude 7.2 and placed its depth at 108 kilometres.
Broadcast images from Peruvian media showed rocks and soil cascading down hills near Coracora, in the Ayacucho region. The town, home to roughly 10,000 people, is the closest population center to the epicenter.
The National Institute of Civil Defense said on X that the earthquake “was felt with moderate to strong intensity in several departments.”
AFP journalists reported that the tremor was also felt in Cusco, Arequipa and Lima, though the shaking was weaker in those cities.
The earthquake comes after two major tremors struck the wider region since June. A double earthquake in Venezuela on June 24 killed more than 6,400 people, while a powerful quake in Colombia last week left nearly 300 people dead.
