Two people were killed when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook Peru on Sunday, according to a regional governor.

One of the two victims was a 55-year-old man crushed by a rock in Yauca, tweeted Yamila Osorio, governor of the Arequipa region in southern Peru. The other victim died in the same region, Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysics Institute of Peru, told TV Peru, without providing further details.

At least 65 people have been injured in the cities of Arequipa, Ica and Ayacucho, also in southern Peru, the National Civil Defense Institute reported.

The earthquake was centered near the coast of Peru, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south-southwest of Acari, according to the US Geological Survey. Acari is about an eight-hour drive down the coast from Lima, the capital.

The quake produced no tsunami threat, the USGS said. </s> A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook southern Peru on Sunday, killing at least two people and injuring 65 others, the South American country’s civil defense agency said.

“There are two fatalities in the region of Arequipa and so far 65 injured have been reported,” General Jorge Chavez, head of the National Civil Defense Institute, said. (AFP) </s> LIMA, Peru — The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 off Peru’s coast. There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The USGS says that the temblor struck 26 miles south-southwest of Acari at 4:18 a.m. EST on Sunday at a depth of about 7.5 miles.

It wasn’t immediately clear if a tsunami warning has been issued. </s> A massive magnitude 7.1 earthquake was reported off the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning resulting in the death of at least one person and injuring several others. According to ABS-CBN News, the earthquake, one of the strongest to hit the country in recent times, also resulted in the destruction of homes and roads. The true extent of the damage caused by the earthquake, however, is yet to be ascertained. Earlier reports had suggested that at least two deaths had taken place. Peruvian authorities, however, later revealed that there had been only one confirmed death. There were also reports of more than 17 workers trapped and missing inside a mine. This, however, is yet to be confirmed.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was epicentered in the Pacific Ocean, around 40 kilometers from the town of Acari. Initial reports say that the quake took place at a depth of 36 km under the sea-bed at around 4:18 a.m. local time. According to a senior government official, the only confirmed death caused by the quake was a 55-year-old man who was killed in the town of Yauca. He was reportedly crushed by a rock. According to Jorge Chavez, chief of Peru’s Civil Defense Institute, more than 65 injuries were reported. Chavez had earlier talked about the death of a second individual but later backtracked on his statement.

“The victim reportedly found in Bella Union has not been confirmed. officially, we only have one death,” Chavez said.

He went on to add that the damage caused to roads is impending rescue operations. Rescue workers are being flown in from neighboring cities and provinces. Meanwhile, the President of Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said he would travel to the towns of Acari and Chala “to verify the magnitude of the damages and send the corresponding humanitarian aid.” At the time of filing this story, several towns were without electricity. A series of aftershocks resulted in several towns being evacuated.

The earthquake was also felt in northern Chile. However, Chile’s National Emergency offices reported no damage or injuries. The Chilean navy confirmed that the earthquake did not cause a tsunami. This statement was corroborated by scientists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) who confirmed that the conditions of the earthquake were not favorable to cause a destructive tsunami.

The last major earthquake in Peru happened on August 15, 2016, when a magnitude 5.1 tremor left four people dead. </s> LIMA (Reuters) - A strong magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning, killing one person, injuring scores and causing homes and roads to collapse.

The quake hit offshore at 4:18 a.m. local time (0918 GMT) at a depth of around 36 km (22.4 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean 40 km from the town of Acari.

Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio said on Twitter that a 55-year-old man died in the town of Yauca after being crushed by rocks. Jorge Chavez, chief of Peru’s Civil Defense Institute, told local radio station RPP that 65 people were injured.

Several municipalities lost electricity, and many roads and adobe houses collapsed, Osorio said. Many residents of Lomas, a coastal town, were evacuated after feeling an aftershock.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski traveled to the towns of Chala and Acari, two of the areas most affected by the quake, to assess the damages and coordinate the response. He said some 100 houses had collapsed.

“We are going to send everything that is needed, such as tents for people whose homes were destroyed,” Kuczynski told reporters in Chala.

Earthquakes are common in Peru, but many homes are built with precarious materials that cannot withstand the tremors.

In 2007 an earthquake killed hundreds in the region of Ica.

Prime Minister Mercedes Araoz said at a news conference in Lima that the government would declare a state of emergency in the affected zones to allow for faster reconstruction of roads and homes. Devastating floods last year resulted in $8 billion in rebuilding costs.

Peruvian maritime authorities said the quake did not produce a tsunami on the coast. In the morning, officials said a second person had died and that 17 people were missing in a mine, but later withdrew the reports.

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Peru is the world’s No. 2 copper producer, although many mines in the south are located far inland from the quake’s epicenter. A Southern Copper Corp representative said there were no reports of damage at its Cuajone and Toquepala mines.

Jesus Revilla, a union leader at the Cerro Verde copper mine in Arequipa, said there were no reports that operations had been affected.

The quake was also felt in northern Chile, Peru’s southern neighbor, but authorities said there was no tsunami risk. </s> A strong earthquake struck the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, causing damage to some homes, collapsing roads and injuring around 20 people.A strong earthquake struck the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, leaving one dead and around 20 injured and causing homes and roads to collapse.The 7.1 magnitude quake hit at 4:18 a.m. local time (0918 GMT) at a depth of around 10 km (6 miles), the USGS said. Peru's government Geophysical Institute said the earthquake was of magnitude 6.7 with its epicenter in Lomas, in the southern region of Arequipa.Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio said on Twitter that one 55-year old man died in the town of Yauca after being crushed by rock, while 20 people were injured in the town of Chala.Several municipalities were without electricity, and many roads and adobe houses had collapsed, Osorio said. Many residents of Lomas were evacuated after feeling an aftershock, she said.Earthquakes are common in Peru, but many homes are built with precarious materials that cannot withstand them.In 2007 an earthquake killed hundreds in the region of Ica.Source: Reuters </s> A powerful earthquake struck off Peru’s coast early Sunday, prompting a tsunami alert for parts of the country and neighbouring Chile that was eventually called off.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 7.1.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the governor of Peru’s Arequipa region, Yamila Osorio, said there was minor damage, including some collapsed roads.

He said people were evacuating homes in Lomas district, where the epicentre was located, 42 kilometres south-southwest of Acari. The earthquake struck at 4:18 a.m. ET at a depth of 36.3 kilometres.

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center first issued a threat message that “hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts” and that larger-than-normal waves could hit Peru and Chile.

But the centre then said in a later statement that “there is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake” and that the centre hadn’t observed any tsunami waves. </s> A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit the coast of north-central Chile on Saturday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey said, with authorities reporting as many as 200,000 without power and two people dead of heart attacks.

The quake struck at 10:32 p.m. about 16 km (10 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, the USGS said. The quake, measured 53 km (33 miles) below the surface, shook homes, caused landslides in the region's mountainous terrain and initially prompted authorities to begin a mass evacuation of coastal areas ahead of a potential tsunami.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, however, quickly ruled out that threat.

An elderly man and woman died of cardiac arrest thought to be associated with the earthquake, according to police and local media reports.

The quake also knocked out a major power station, but electricity was restored to most of the region overnight.

A witness reported minor damage to older buildings in the coastal city of La Serena, a popular Pacific coast beach town about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Santiago.

"It felt very strong... The tourists were very nervous, but nothing serious happened," Camila Castillo, a receptionist at a hotel in La Serena, told Reuters.

Chilean miner Antofagasta Plc said operations were normal at its Los Pelambres copper mine.

Chile, located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", has a long history of deadly quakes, including a 8.8 magnitude quake in 2010 off the south-central coast that triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal towns.

But death and destruction tend to be limited due to the adoption of strict construction codes. </s> LIMA, Peru (AFP) – A strong 8.0-earthquake struck northern Peru in the early hours of Sunday, sending residents fleeing from their homes but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

The US Geological Survey said the epicenter was at a depth of 110 kilometers (68 miles).

The quake hit at 0741 GMT about 75 kilometers southeast of the town of Lagunas, along the Amazon basin near the border with Brazil.

“Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized,” USGS said in a preliminary assessment.

Quakes of similar depth “typically cause less damage on the ground surface (but)… may be felt at great distance from their epicenters,” it later added.

The tremors were felt in northern and central Peru, including the capital Lima.

Seismologists at the Geophysics Institute of Peru said the quake, which lasted just over two minutes, measured 7.5 magnitude, revising an earlier assessment of 7.2 magnitude.

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra urged citizens “to remain calm” in a message on his official Twitter account. “We’re evaluating the affected areas,” he said.

Initial reports on Peruvian television said some damage to buildings occurred in the city of Yurimaguas, close to the epicenter, but no injuries had been recorded.

“Based on all available data… there is no tsunami threat because the earthquake is located too deep inside the Earth,” the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

In February, a quake measuring 7.5 with its epicenter in neighboring Ecuador rattled the coast and Amazon region of northern Peru. It left nine people injured and caused damage in Ecuador, but Peru was unscathed.

Peru is located in a seismically active region, and on Jan. 14 last year a quake measuring 7.3 killed two people and toppled buildings near the southern city of Arequipa.
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes in the Pacific Ocean near Acarí in Peru's Arequipa Region resulting in 1 death and 65 injured.