More than 100 injured as 6.3 earthquake hits Peru
Last night’s earthquake struck nine miles south of the city of Ica, which was severely damaged in August 2007 by a 7.9 magnitude undersea earthquake which saw 510 people lose their lives and 80,000 displaced.
At least 112 people in Peru have been treated for injuries after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the country’s central coastline, Peruvian authorities say.
The quake struck at 11 minutes after midnight EST, 9 miles south of the city of Ica and about 170 miles south-southeast of Lima, Peru’s capital, according to Reuters.
Some 16 homes were damaged in the quake, which was felt in the central and southern regions of the country, the AP reported. Buildings shook in Lima, witnesses said.
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The US Geological Survey (USGS) says that the earthquake was at a depth of 24 miles. Peru’s regional civil defense director Cesar Chonate reported that most injuries were minor and none were life-threatening, although a boy was hospitalized with a fractured hip.
The quake knocked out electricity supplies in Ica, the BBC reported, as well as in nearby Pisco. Ica was severely damaged in August 2007 when a 7.9 magnitude undersea earthquake struck, killing 510 people and displacing 80,000 from their homes.
Ica also suffered damage after a 6.9 magnitude quake hit last October, according to GlobalPost.
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