Peru's Housing Minister heads to earthquake-hit zone to coordinate aid

Peru's Minister of Housing, Mauricio Arnillas, traveled to Coracora in the Andean region of Ayacucho to oversee emergency actions after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the area. The tremor, which occurred Thursday, caused material damage and left three people injured.

The Ministry of Housing shared images on social media showing the minister boarding an army helicopter, stating, "We are heading to Coracora to address the emergency!" Coracora, the capital of Parinacochas province, is a remote location, requiring over 11 hours of travel by road from Ayacucho city and more than 12 hours from Lima.

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We are heading to Coracora to address the emergency!

The earthquake hit at 1:00 PM local time and was followed by two smaller aftershocks. Its epicenter was located 35 kilometers north of Coracora at a depth of 108 kilometers. The National Civil Defense Institute (Indeci) reported that the quake damaged 122 homes, twelve health facilities, and twelve educational institutions in districts near the epicenter and in the neighboring Cusco region.

Despite the earthquake's magnitude, its significant depth of over 100 kilometers prevented more critical effects, according to Hernando Tavera, head of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP). He noted that the tremor was felt across several regions, including Lima. The Ministry of Housing confirmed that Minister Arnillas would assess the situation directly and coordinate immediate actions with local authorities to assist affected families, emphasizing the government's commitment to a timely response.

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The Government is present in the territory to articulate a timely response for the benefit of the affected families.