July 20, 2026, 08:10 (AFP)
- Peru is situated on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire — an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin
LIMA: A 5.1‑magnitude earthquake struck the Andes region of Peru, killing six people and destroying dozens of homes, officials said Sunday. The tremor, which occurred Saturday night, injured 32 others as it shook the town of Chongos Bajo, located about 300 kilometers (180 miles) east of Lima, according to Prime Minister Luis Enrique Aroyo. The epicenter was at a depth of 24 km (15 miles). “The earthquake destroyed our home. Here there are many adobe houses that collapsed,” an unnamed resident of Chongos Bajo told the N television network. Because the epicenter was shallow and many houses in the area are built from adobe or a wood‑cane‑mud blend called “quincha,” some towns suffered significant damage, said General Luis Vasquez, director of the National Civil Defense Institute. “Forty‑eight houses were destroyed and 300 people were left homeless,” he added. Twelve aftershocks were recorded.
Peru lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Seismologists estimate that Peru experiences at least 400 earthquakes each year, three‑quarters of which are too weak to be felt by the population. Peru’s last major, deadly earthquake—a 7.9 magnitude event—killed 595 people in 2007 when it struck the port city of Pisco in the southern Ica region, triggering a minor tsunami.