Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Southern Peru, Causing Injuries and Damage

A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake jolted several regions in southern Peru on Thursday, causing minor injuries and damage. The tremor's epicenter was located in a district of the Parinacochas province in the Ayacucho department, approximately 791 kilometers southeast of the capital, Lima. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a depth of 99 kilometers for the quake.

Defense Minister Rafael Belaúnde informed Congress that disaster risk management offices are assessing the damage. Initial reports confirm three people sustained minor injuries. Additionally, 22 homes, six schools, and 12 medical centers suffered damage. The Peruvian Geophysical Institute (IGP) estimated the earthquake's magnitude at 7.2 and its depth at 108 kilometers.

Emergency groups were dispatched to the Andean towns of Puquio and Coracora, the closest communities to the epicenter, each with about 10,000 inhabitants. Images shared by media outlets showed rocks and earth falling from hillsides surrounding Coracora. The mayor of Coracora, Yony Odón Reyes, told state television TV Perú that the population responded well, evacuating to safety, and expressed hope that there would be no serious harm to residents. A magnitude 4.2 aftershock occurred later in the afternoon. The earthquake was also felt in other southern departments, including Cusco, Arequipa, and Ica, and registered as a light tremor in Lima.