5-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Peru’s Andes, Killing at Least 5

LIMA, Peru — A magnitude 5.5 earthquake rattled Peru’s Andean region, leaving at least five people dead, local authorities said Sunday. More than 20 others were hurt, and about 300 people have been displaced so far.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake hit Saturday at 9:24 p.m. local time. Its epicenter was recorded 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) west-southwest of Sicaya, a city in Huancayo province, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles).

Peru’s National Civil Defense Institute said the number of people still missing has not yet been determined.

The shaking brought down several buildings and left others with serious structural damage, including the area’s church and convent.

Local media footage showed grieving relatives in one of the worst-affected communities, the agricultural area of Chongo Bajo. Residents wrapped in blankets gathered outdoors near badly damaged homes, while animals could be seen trapped beneath debris.

Peru is highly prone to earthquakes because it sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 quake devastated Pisco province in the Ica region, killing nearly 600 people.