A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Andes region of Peru on Saturday, leaving at least six people dead and over 30 injured. The quake, which occurred at 9.24pm, had its epicentre located 2km west-south-west of the city of Sicaya in Huancayo province, with a depth of 10km. According to Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute, the total number of missing people is still unknown.
Several buildings, including the local church and convent, collapsed or suffered structural damage, with 300 people displaced. The use of rustic adobe materials in construction in the area has been cited as a contributing factor to the greater impact and damage. Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, which is located in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.
The affected area, particularly the agricultural region of Chongo Bajo, has been severely impacted, with residents seeking shelter and aid. Animals have also been seen trapped under the rubble. Residents have expressed their anguish and desperation, with one victim, Hermenegilda Guamalato, stating that her home has been destroyed and she is seeking a place to stay with her three children in a neighbouring district.
Peru has experienced devastating earthquakes in the past, including a 7.9-magnitude quake in 2007 that killed nearly 600 people in the province of Pisco.
