At least six people have died and 21 are injured after twin earthquakes struck a mountainous region of central Peru overnight.
Dozens of homes have been destroyed reportly. Local officials reported damage to homes and public facilities, while rescue and relief operations continued in areas closest to the epicenters.
According to Peru’s National Seismological Center post on X., the back-to-back tremors hit Chupaca province in the JunÃn region, roughly 300 kilometers east of the capital city of Lima, catching many families inside their homes.
According to Peru’s National Seismological Center, soon after the first and more powerful quake registered a magnitude of 5.1 at a depth of 24 kilometers, a magnitude 3.7 aftershock at a depth of 18 kilometers strikes the region.
The earthquakes triggered panic among residents, with many people leaving buildings and gathering in open areas as aftershocks remained a concern.
The tremors caused damage in affected areas with emergency teams responding to assess casualties, provide assistance, and inspect damaged infrastructure.
Rescue teams arrived in the affected mountain passes early Sunday morning to clear blocked roadways and sift through debris.
Peru is one of the world’s most earthquake prone countries because it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region where tectonic plates frequently interact and produce seismic activity.
Rescue officials fear the death toll could rise as per the intensity of the situation.
They also noted that the high level of structural damage was exacerbated by local construction practices, as most homes in these remote agricultural communities are built from rudimentary, unreinforced adobe blocks.
