Peru quake kills six, injures 21, displaces hundreds

A powerful earthquake struck central Peru on Saturday night, killing at least six people, injuring more than 20, and displacing hundreds of residents. The tremor caused significant damage across several rural communities, with traditional adobe homes and historic structures collapsing under the force of the shaking.

The main earthquake occurred at 9:24 p.m. local time on July 18, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which measured its magnitude at 5.5. Peru's National Seismological Center reported the magnitude as 5.1, noting a depth of 24 kilometers. A second, smaller tremor of magnitude 3.7 followed approximately 15 minutes later. The epicenter was near the city of Sicaya in Huancayo province, within the Junín region about 300 kilometers east of Lima.

Luis Vásquez, head of Peru's National Civil Defense Institute, provided updated casualty figures on Sunday, July 19, confirming at least six fatalities and 21 injuries. Preliminary assessments indicate that 48 homes were destroyed and another 18 were damaged, directly affecting around 300 people who have been provided with emergency tents. Officials cautioned that these figures could change as search and assessment teams...