Six Dead, 21 Injured After Earthquakes Strike Peru

At least six people have died and 21 others were injured after two earthquakes struck a mountainous region of Peru over the weekend.

The tremors, measuring 5.1 and 3.7 magnitude, hit Chupaca province in the Junín region, approximately 300 km east of Lima, on Saturday night. Peru's National Seismological Centre, which posted details on X, reported depths of 24 km and 18 km respectively. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre initially recorded the first quake at a higher magnitude of 5.6.

Luis Vásquez, head of Peru's National Civil Defense Institute, told local radio that 48 homes, typically rudimentary adobe structures, were destroyed and 18 damaged, affecting around 300 residents who are now receiving tents.

Emergency teams and firefighters were deployed early on Sunday to clear rubble, with fears that more victims could be trapped. Peru is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for approximately 85 per cent of global seismic activity.

Saturday’s earthquake in Peru comes after Venezuela was hit by back-to-back earthquakes late last month.

The death toll from the powerful 7.2 and 7.5 quakes that struck on June 24 stood at 5,069 as of late Friday.

Venezuela's government says 856 buildings are damaged and 190 collapsed completely. Hundreds of other types of structures, such as bridges and roads, were also affected.