Central Peru Rocked by 5.1 Quake: One Dead, Ten Hurt Near Junín

At least one person has died and ten others were injured when a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck central Peru.

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The tremor occurred on Saturday night, centered near the town of Chupaca in the Andean region of Junín at a depth of 24 kilometers.

Seventeen minutes later, a magnitude 3.7 aftershock hit the same zone. Authorities reported that its intensity was significantly lower than the main shock, which was moderately felt in Chupaca.

Officials are continuing to evaluate the extent of the damage.

The most severe impact was recorded in the district of Chongos Bajo, where the fatality took place; however, the victim has not yet been identified.

In the regional capital of Huancayo, two medical facilities sustained damage. The Daniel Alcides Carrión Hospital, which received the injured, was affected, as was the El Carmen Mother and Child Hospital, where cracks appeared in the pediatric intensive care unit.

The earthquake also harmed several historic sites, including the Cani Cruz stone cross in Chongos Alto and sections of the old Santiago de León convent.

The event triggered power outages in multiple districts. According to initial assessments by the National Emergency Operations Committee (COEN), roads within the national highway network remained unaffected.

Peru is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the planet’s most seismically active belts, where roughly 85% of the world’s earthquakes originate.

Authorities note that quakes of magnitude 5 or above strike the Chupaca area approximately every 13 years, while smaller tremors are far more frequent throughout Junín.

Although earthquakes cannot be forecast, officials state that seismic modeling helps pinpoint the regions facing the greatest risk.

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