Two killed, 65 injured after M7.1 earthquake hits Peru

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At least two people were killed and 65 injured after a massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck just off the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning, according to local officials.

The quake hit about 42 km southwest of the town of Acari, at 4:18 a.m. local time (09:18 GMT) on Sunday at a depth of around 10 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Peru's government Geophysical Institute said the earthquake was of magnitude 6.7 with its epicenter in Lomas, Arequipa, destroying roads and adobe houses.

Screenshot from Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio’s Twitter page

One of the two victims was a 55-year-old man in the town of Yauca who died after being crushed by rocks, according to Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio. The other victim died in the town of Bella Union, local radio station RPP reported citing Jorge Chavez, chief of Peru's Civil Defense Institute (INDECI).

Chavez also said that “it is possible that the count of victims and injured will rise.”

Many residents of Lomas have been evacuated after feeling an aftershock, according to Osorio.

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