A 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes the Andean region of Ayacucho in Peru

An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 shook the Andean region of Ayacucho, in southern Peru, this Thursday, reports the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP), detailing that the epicenter has been located 35 kilometers from the town of Cora Cora, with no personal or material damage reported so far.

The IGP points out that the earthquake was recorded at 1:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. Spanish time) this Thursday and had a depth of 108 kilometers. The earthquake has reached an intensity of III-IV in Coracora, a city located about 650 kilometers south of Lima, where the movement has also been perceived, although slightly.

The Regional Emergency Operations Center (COEN) has confirmed the information about the characteristics of the earthquake, but has not yet offered details about possible damage, despite the fact that local media have reported rockfalls and some damage to homes in Ayacucho. In this regard, the head of the IGP, Hernando Tavera, has said that "for now nothing critical has happened" but they continue with the evaluation of the situation generated.

Emergency teams maintain surveillance in the most vulnerable areas, especially in rural areas where homes built with rustic materials predominate, more susceptible to damage. The movement was felt with strong intensity in several districts of Ayacucho and in Nazca (Ica), moderately in Ica and Pisco and mild in towns of Apurímac and Moquegua. The authorities continue to gather information, while images of landslides and dust clouds in areas close to the epicenter have circulated on social media, with no associated damage confirmed so far.

An aftershock shakes Ayacucho

An aftershock of magnitude 4.2 shook the Peruvian region of Ayacucho this Thursday three and a half hours after the magnitude 7.2 earthquake registered in the south of the country. The new earthquake had its epicenter 28 kilometers north of Coracora and 108 kilometers deep, according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru.

Peru is located in an area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 80% of the world's seismic activity occurs. Last July, the Junín region, neighboring Lima, suffered a series of earthquakes with a maximum magnitude of 5.4, which caused the death of five people, hundreds of victims and the destruction of dozens of homes.

The last devastating earthquake in the country was recorded in 2007 in the southern region of Ica, where a 7.9 magnitude earthquake caused the death of about 500 people and millions of property losses.