A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Peru’s southern Andes mountain region on Thursday. However, there is no immediate report of any loss of life or property due to the earthquake. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at around 1 pm local time. Its epicenter was 38 kilometers northwest of the city of Upahuacho in the Parinacochas province of the Ayacucho region, at a depth of 66.7 kilometers underground.
The earthquake was felt in many southern parts of Peru, including the Ica and Arequipa regions. Authorities did not immediately report any major damage. Peru has also seen massive devastation caused by powerful earthquakes in the past. In 2007, a powerful earthquake of 7.9 magnitude struck a province in the Ica region, killing about 600 people.
No damage due to greater depth
Due to the greater depth, there was no damage on a large scale. Some reports say that 2 people have been injured. Apart from this, some buildings are also said to be damaged. However, there have been no reports of large-scale damage. No official has yet given any information about the damage caused by the earthquake. Some schools, houses and hospitals are said to be damaged. Peru is situated on the banks of the ocean, but due to the earthquake, no warning has been issued regarding any kind of tsunami here.
Earthquakes occur frequently in Peru
Earthquakes occur frequently in Peru. The current event is also part of general seismic activity in Peru’s “Ring of Fire” region. In 2007, an earthquake caused massive devastation here. Since then, earthquakes have been occurring frequently here, but they often do not cause much damage.
What is the Ring of Fire?
The Ring of Fire is an approximately 40,000 kilometer long, horseshoe-shaped geological region that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. Many volcanoes are active here and earthquakes occur. For this reason it is called Ring of Fire. The region contains about 90% of the world’s earthquakes and about 75% of the world’s active volcanoes. Peru is located on the eastern side of this Ring of Fire. Here the Nazca Plate is sinking beneath the South American Plate. This process is called subduction. This collision created the Andes mountain range. This is why Peru is counted among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. The Ring of Fire includes many countries like Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, West Coast of America etc. A 5.9 magnitude earthquake had occurred in Indonesia just a day earlier.
