A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Andes region of Peru on Saturday night, resulting in at least five deaths, according to authorities. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the seismic event occurred at 9:24 p.m., with an epicenter located 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) west-southwest of the city of Sicaya in Huancayo province. The quake reached a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles).
In addition to the fatalities, more than 20 people sustained injuries, and 300 individuals have been displaced. Peru’s National Civil Defense Institute stated that the total number of missing persons remains unknown. The tremor caused several buildings to collapse or suffer significant structural damage, including a local church and a convent.
Luis Vásquez, the head of the local civil defense office, explained to journalists that the use of rustic adobe materials in the region's construction “has contributed to the greater impact and damage.” Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, as the country is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
The agricultural region of Chongo Bajo was among the hardest-hit areas. Local media broadcast images of victims’ relatives in distress, while residents were seen huddled under blankets outside their severely damaged homes. Animals were also reported trapped under the rubble. Hermenegilda Guamalato, a resident who lost her home, told a local radio station that she was searching for a place to stay with her three children in the neighboring province of Huayucachi.
The region has a history of significant seismic activity; in 2007, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the province of Pisco in the Ica region, killing nearly 600 people.
