7.2 magnitude earthquake hits Peru; there is no record of victims

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Peru this Thursday (20), according to information from the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP). According to the agency, the epicenter of the tremor occurred around 1 pm local time (3 pm Brasília time) 35 kilometers north of the city of Coracora, in the Ayacucho region. The depth of the earthquake was 108 kilometers.

There is still no record of victims. Local authorities believe the possibility that the earthquake caused significant damage is low, especially given its depth. The head of the IGP, Hernando Tavera, gave an interview to the Peruvian newspaper The Republic and explained that, also due to its depth, the tremor was felt in different parts of the country. He also warned of the risk of landslides on roads.

“Based on the information we have gathered so far, people took to the streets quite scared, but nothing more serious happened. We hope it continues like this”, stated the head of the IGP. The Peruvian Navy’s Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation (DHN) then reported that the earthquake did not generate a tsunami on the country’s coast.

National repercussion

Local authorities reported that the earthquake was felt in several Peruvian districts. According to the National Emergency Operations Center (COEN), the tremor could be seen in places such as Chumpi, Coronel Castañeda, Pacapausa, Pusso, as well as Coracora and several others.

Peru is a country especially susceptible to phenomena of this type. Due to its geographical location, the Peruvian territory is located in a subduction zone, where there are landslides of the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate. These characteristics cause energy to accumulate, which ends up being released in the form of earthquakes.

This Thursday’s tremor (20) comes about a month after another earthquake that hit Peruvian territory in July, in the Andean region of Junín. On that occasion, six people died and another five were injured, and hundreds were left homeless.

This week’s event also coincides with a major earthquake recorded last week in Colombia, in which 314 people died and another 262 remained missing. Additionally, an earthquake recorded in Venezuela in June killed 6,400 people, affecting the homes of tens of thousands of Venezuelans.