A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck near the coastal city of Arequipa, Peru’s second most populated city, on Friday. Local officials reported that fortunately, no deaths or injuries had been reported so far.
The Peruvian government announced on social media that it is actively monitoring the situation to “assess the damage and determine the actions to be taken”. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami threat, noting that waves between 1 and 3 meters (9.84 ft) above the tide level had been recorded along some parts of Peru’s coast.
However, Peru’s Prime Minister, Gustavo Adrianzen, later stated that the tsunami warning for the coast of Arequipa had been dismissed. Carlos Zanabria, an adviser to the regional government of Arequipa, informed local radio station RPP that material damage had been reported in some districts, causing residents to evacuate their homes in fear. He confirmed that there had been no reports of death or injury.
Flavio Aranguren, the mayor of Yauca district in Caraveli province, Arequipa, reported to RPP that some house walls in the district had collapsed but also confirmed no fatalities.
Peru and Ecuador are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active region where frequent clashes between continental plates occur.
Melissa Enoch
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