WEB DESK
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Peru on Sunday, destroying buildings including a church tower, injuring at least 10 people, and sending shock waves across the region.
The strong quake hit at 10:52 am (GMT) at a depth of 131 kilometers, according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru.
Civil Defense authorities said at least 10 people were injured, while 75 houses were destroyed. The quake also caused damage in neighboring Ecuador.
The epicenter was 98 kilometers east of the small Peruvian town of Santa Maria de Nieva in the Peruvian Amazon, a sparsely populated area inhabited by Amazonian indigenous people.
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said on Twitter, that all his solidarity with the people of Amazonas in the face of the strong earthquake. He said he had ordered all relevant ministries to take immediate action. No tsunami warning was issued by US monitors after the quake.
Peru is shaken by at least 400 perceptible earthquakes every year, as it is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire an area of ample seismic activity that extends along the west coast of the American continent.
A powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake on August 15, 2007, struck Peru’s central coast, causing more than 500 deaths.