A powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake shook residents in Lima awake over the weekend. The earthquake was the most powerful one to hit Peru in over a decade, sending residents fleeing from their homes. Fortunately, the quake's epicenter was in a remote part of the Amazon jungle, with the nearest town only lightly populated.
As of this writing, only one casualty was reported. A man was reportedly killed inside his house when a rock fell on it. According to Peru's National Emergency Operations Center, the 48-year old man was from the Cajamarca region in northwestern Peru.
Despite being far from major cities, the quake still did a lot of damage to old houses and buildings. Some of the houses in the town of Yurimaguas, the closest one to the epicenter, were completely destroyed. Several bridges were also reportedly toppled down and several roads were impassable due to debris.
Yurimaguas mayor Hugo Araujo told reporters that the quake was the most powerful one they had ever felt in over 12 years. Rescue workers revealed that over 11 people were injured in Peru and around seven other people in neighboring Ecuador.
Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra immediately flew to Yurimaguas following the incident to coordinate with rescue workers. The president was accompanied by other officials, who also worked with local leaders to assess the damage. The country's transport minister was also reportedly present to evaluate the damage to the roads and to coordinate with workers to clear up the debris.
The quake's epicenter was approximately 115 km underground and was felt across different regions including Ecuador, Venezuela, Caracas, Lima, Quito, and Peru. Emergency operations authorities have reported millions of dollars worth of damage to buildings including five schools, four health centers, and two temples.
The US Geological Survey pinpointed the quake to be about 75 kilometers southeast of the town of Lagunas near the Brazilian border. The agency recorded the tremor at 8.0 magnitudes, while the Institute of Geophysics of Peru measured it at 7.5 on the Richter scale. The tremor itself lasted for more than two minutes. The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center assured the public that there was no threat of a tsunami given that the quake happened at such as low depth.
Peru, along with countries such as Colombia and Venezuela, lies on top of the so-called Ring of Fire. The area is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The last major earthquake that hit the area was a 7.5-magnitude quake in Ecuador back in February of this year.
