Landslides reported after strong earthquake in Peru

A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake jolted southern Peru on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 1:00 PM local time, with initial reports indicating landslides and earth collapses in rural areas. The tremor was felt moderately to strongly across several provinces and departments, prompting ongoing monitoring in vulnerable zones.

The epicenter was pinpointed 35 kilometers north of Coracora, in the Ayacucho region's Parinacochas province, at a depth of 108 kilometers. While dust clouds from collapsing hillsides have been observed in areas near villages, authorities have not yet confirmed any fatalities or severe material damage. The mayor of Coracora noted potential structural damage to housing in the northern sector of the city, prompting an immediate multisectoral inspection.

Hernando Tavera, head of the Peruvian Geophysics Institute (IGP), stated that the current situation does not present critical conditions and categorically ruled out the possibility of a tsunami. The earthquake's intensity was felt as III-IV in Coracora, approximately 650 kilometers south of Lima. Seismic waves were also perceived in Arequipa, Cusco, and Abancay, with a lighter tremor felt in Lima.

Peru is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area prone to significant seismic activity. Recent seismic events include a series of tremors up to magnitude 5.4 in the Junín region in July 2026, which resulted in five deaths, hundreds displaced, and dozens of homes destroyed. The last devastating earthquake in southern Peru occurred in 2007 in the Ica region, a magnitude 7.9 event.