7.5-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern Peru
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A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 has struck northern Peru, according to the US Geological Survey.
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No tsunami warning was issued by US monitors.
The United States Geological Survey reported a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in northern Peru at 5:52 a.m. (1052 GMT) on Sunday.
According to the Geophysical Institute of Peru, the epicenter of the powerful quake occurred 98 kilometers (60 miles) east of the town of Santa Maria de Nieva in the Peruvian Amazon, at a depth of 131 kilometers (81 miles).
The country's National Institute of Civil Defense said in its first report that no damage had been detected thus far.
Following the quake, no tsunami warning was issued by US monitors.
The deep quake sent shockwaves across the northern and central areas of the country, affecting nearly half of the country, including coastal and Andean regions like Cajamarca, Piura, Tumbes, Lambayeque, Ancash, and Lima, the capital.
"We have all taken to the streets, we are very scared," Lucia told RPP radio from the town of Chota.
"It has felt very strong," another listener, who identified himself as Juan, told RPP radio from the city of Chiclayo in the Lambayeque region.
Santa Maria de Nieva, on the banks of the Nieva River, on the Ecuadorian border, is a sparsely populated area inhabited by Amazonian indigenous people.
