Peru was in the grip of an earthquake. Its preliminary magnitude was 7.5, and it struck northern Peru. The quake damaged at least 117 homes and blocked many roads with rubble. As a result, travel became complicated in the affected areas. People in central and northern Peru felt the tremors, as did people in Lima, located nearly 1,000 miles from the epicenter.
A large number of residents came out of their homes as a precautionary measure. It was a strong quake but at a depth of nearly 70 miles. Hence, the extent of damage and casualties was considerably less.
There are reports of a few injuries but not of any deaths.
People staying far away from Peru experienced tremors and rushed out of their homes in alarm. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) puts the earthquake's magnitude at 7.5 with its epicenter in the Amazon region. In August, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti with a death toll of more than 1,200.
The earthquake damaged a 16th-century church
One of the earthquake's casualties in Peru is the collapse of portions of a 16th-century church in the La Jalca district. Its location is in the Amazon region. Mayor Walter Culqui confirmed this to the media.
Apart from places of religious worship, a couple of shopping centers suffered damages.
A church in neighboring Ecuador suffered partial injuries while areas in Colombia and Brazil felt the tremors. The National Institute of Civil Defense confirms these losses. Peru lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Most of the planet's seismic activity takes place in this region.
The epicenter of the earthquake was 25 miles northwest of Barranca
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked northern Peru damaged an ancient Catholic Church tower. There were a few injuries but no loss of lives. Peru's civil defense Chief Carlos Yañez mentioned damages to some roads and other infrastructure.
The USGS says the quake struck a sparsely populated region.
The quake struck at a depth of about 70 miles below the Earth's surface. This single factor minimized the damages above the ground. The epicenter of the quake was 25 miles northwest of Barranca, a coastal city.
Colombia and Ecuador felt the tremors of the earthquake in Peru
The earthquake left rubbles in the place where the historic, 45-foot-tall tower had stood. Images on social media platforms revealed the extent of damages in various areas. Colombia and Ecuador felt the tremors. USA Today quotes Walter Culqui, mayor of Jalca Grande, saying that many families in his city have to deal with damaged homes. Clearing the rubble from the rods was important.
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo Terrones went to the most affected communities.
His message via Twitter was: "You are not alone, brothers and sisters. We will support those affected and (help with) material damage." There have been earthquakes that left behind a trail of damages like the one in 2011 in Japan. In December 2018, an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Alaska and damaged the infrastructure. It destroyed a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, and the setup is still recovering from the effects of radiation.
