LIMA (Reuters) - A strong magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning, killing one person, injuring scores and causing homes and roads to collapse.

The quake hit offshore at 4:18 a.m. local time (0918 GMT) at a depth of around 36 km (22.4 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean 40 km from the town of Acari.

Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio said on Twitter that a 55-year-old man died in the town of Yauca after being crushed by rocks. Jorge Chavez, chief of Peru’s Civil Defense Institute, told local radio station RPP that 65 people were injured.

Several municipalities lost electricity, and many roads and adobe houses collapsed, Osorio said. Many residents of Lomas, a coastal town, were evacuated after feeling an aftershock.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski traveled to the towns of Chala and Acari, two of the areas most affected by the quake, to assess the damages and coordinate the response. He said some 100 houses had collapsed.

“We are going to send everything that is needed, such as tents for people whose homes were destroyed,” Kuczynski told reporters in Chala.

Earthquakes are common in Peru, but many homes are built with precarious materials that cannot withstand the tremors.

In 2007 an earthquake killed hundreds in the region of Ica.

Prime Minister Mercedes Araoz said at a news conference in Lima that the government would declare a state of emergency in the affected zones to allow for faster reconstruction of roads and homes. Devastating floods last year resulted in $8 billion in rebuilding costs.

Peruvian maritime authorities said the quake did not produce a tsunami on the coast. In the morning, officials said a second person had died and that 17 people were missing in a mine, but later withdrew the reports.

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Peru is the world’s No. 2 copper producer, although many mines in the south are located far inland from the quake’s epicenter. A Southern Copper Corp representative said there were no reports of damage at its Cuajone and Toquepala mines.

Jesus Revilla, a union leader at the Cerro Verde copper mine in Arequipa, said there were no reports that operations had been affected.

The quake was also felt in northern Chile, Peru’s southern neighbor, but authorities said there was no tsunami risk.</s></s>A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook southern Peru on Sunday, killing at least two people and injuring 65 others, the South American country’s civil defense agency said.

“There are two fatalities in the region of Arequipa and so far 65 injured have been reported,” General Jorge Chavez, head of the National Civil Defense Institute, said. (AFP)</s>Authorities say the death and injury toll from a strong earthquake that struck off the coast of southern Peru could rise, with 17 people missing after an informal mine shaft collapsed.

A tsunami warning was originally issued for Peru and Chile. (Credit: ABC licensed)

A strong earthquake has struck the coast of southern Peru, causing damage to homes, collapsing roads and killing at least two people.

The magnitude-7.1 quake hit at 4:18am (local time) on Sunday at a depth of around 10 km, the US Geological Survey said.

Peru's government Geophysical Institute said the earthquake was of magnitude-6.7 with its epicentre in the coastal town of Lomas, in the southern region of Arequipa.

About 65 people were injured in the quake, and 17 were missing after an informal mine east of the coastal city of Chala collapsed, authorities said.

Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio said on Twitter that one 55-year-old man died in the town of Yauca after being crushed by a rock.

Jorge Chavez, chief of Peru's Civil Defence Institute, told local radio station RPP that a second death was reported in the town of Bella Union.

Ms Osorio said on Twitter the quake caused minor material damage, including some collapsed roads.

Several municipalities were without electricity, and many adobe houses — houses built with earth — had collapsed, she said.

Many residents of Lomas were evacuated after feeling an aftershock.

Peruvian maritime authorities said the quake did not produce a tsunami, despite a warning initially being issued for Peru and Chile by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC).

The warning was cancelled, but the PTWC advised minor sea level fluctuations could continue for hours after the earthquake.

Earthquakes are common in Peru, but many homes are built with precarious materials that cannot withstand them.

In 2007 an earthquake killed hundreds in the region of Ica in the country's south.</s>Two people were killed when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook Peru on Sunday, according to a regional governor.

One of the two victims was a 55-year-old man crushed by a rock in Yauca, tweeted Yamila Osorio, governor of the Arequipa region in southern Peru. The other victim died in the same region, Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysics Institute of Peru, told TV Peru, without providing further details.

At least 65 people have been injured in the cities of Arequipa, Ica and Ayacucho, also in southern Peru, the National Civil Defense Institute reported.

The earthquake was centered near the coast of Peru, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south-southwest of Acari, according to the US Geological Survey. Acari is about an eight-hour drive down the coast from Lima, the capital.

The quake produced no tsunami threat, the USGS said.</s>A massive magnitude 7.1 earthquake was reported off the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning resulting in the death of at least one person and injuring several others. According to ABS-CBN News, the earthquake, one of the strongest to hit the country in recent times, also resulted in the destruction of homes and roads. The true extent of the damage caused by the earthquake, however, is yet to be ascertained. Earlier reports had suggested that at least two deaths had taken place. Peruvian authorities, however, later revealed that there had been only one confirmed death. There were also reports of more than 17 workers trapped and missing inside a mine. This, however, is yet to be confirmed.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was epicentered in the Pacific Ocean, around 40 kilometers from the town of Acari. Initial reports say that the quake took place at a depth of 36 km under the sea-bed at around 4:18 a.m. local time. According to a senior government official, the only confirmed death caused by the quake was a 55-year-old man who was killed in the town of Yauca. He was reportedly crushed by a rock. According to Jorge Chavez, chief of Peru’s Civil Defense Institute, more than 65 injuries were reported. Chavez had earlier talked about the death of a second individual but later backtracked on his statement.

“The victim reportedly found in Bella Union has not been confirmed. officially, we only have one death,” Chavez said.

He went on to add that the damage caused to roads is impending rescue operations. Rescue workers are being flown in from neighboring cities and provinces. Meanwhile, the President of Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said he would travel to the towns of Acari and Chala “to verify the magnitude of the damages and send the corresponding humanitarian aid.” At the time of filing this story, several towns were without electricity. A series of aftershocks resulted in several towns being evacuated.

The earthquake was also felt in northern Chile. However, Chile’s National Emergency offices reported no damage or injuries. The Chilean navy confirmed that the earthquake did not cause a tsunami. This statement was corroborated by scientists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) who confirmed that the conditions of the earthquake were not favorable to cause a destructive tsunami.

The last major earthquake in Peru happened on August 15, 2016, when a magnitude 5.1 tremor left four people dead.</s>A powerful earthquake struck off Peru’s coast early Sunday, prompting a tsunami alert for parts of the country and neighbouring Chile that was eventually called off.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 7.1.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the governor of Peru’s Arequipa region, Yamila Osorio, said there was minor damage, including some collapsed roads.

He said people were evacuating homes in Lomas district, where the epicentre was located, 42 kilometres south-southwest of Acari. The earthquake struck at 4:18 a.m. ET at a depth of 36.3 kilometres.

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center first issued a threat message that “hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts” and that larger-than-normal waves could hit Peru and Chile.

But the centre then said in a later statement that “there is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake” and that the centre hadn’t observed any tsunami waves.</s>LIMA, Peru — The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 off Peru’s coast. There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The USGS says that the temblor struck 26 miles south-southwest of Acari at 4:18 a.m. EST on Sunday at a depth of about 7.5 miles.

It wasn’t immediately clear if a tsunami warning has been issued.</s>A strong earthquake struck the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, causing damage to some homes, collapsing roads and injuring around 20 people.A strong earthquake struck the coast of southern Peru on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, leaving one dead and around 20 injured and causing homes and roads to collapse.The 7.1 magnitude quake hit at 4:18 a.m. local time (0918 GMT) at a depth of around 10 km (6 miles), the USGS said. Peru's government Geophysical Institute said the earthquake was of magnitude 6.7 with its epicenter in Lomas, in the southern region of Arequipa.Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio said on Twitter that one 55-year old man died in the town of Yauca after being crushed by rock, while 20 people were injured in the town of Chala.Several municipalities were without electricity, and many roads and adobe houses had collapsed, Osorio said. Many residents of Lomas were evacuated after feeling an aftershock, she said.Earthquakes are common in Peru, but many homes are built with precarious materials that cannot withstand them.In 2007 an earthquake killed hundreds in the region of Ica.Source: Reuters</s>A strong earthquake has struck the coast of southern Peru, causing damage to homes, collapsing roads and injuring about 20 people.

The magnitude-7.1 quake hit at 4:18am (local time) on Sunday at a depth of around 10 km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Peru's government Geophysical Institute said the earthquake was of magnitude 6.7 with its epicentre in Lomas, in the southern region of Arequipa.

Peruvian maritime authorities said the quake did not produce a tsunami on the Peruvian coast, despite a warning initially being issued.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had issued a warning for hazardous tsunami waves for the coasts of Peru and Chile.

It said there could be waves between 0.3 to 1 metre above the tide level for Peru, and waves less than 0.3 metres above the tide level for the coasts of Chile.

The warning was cancelled, but the centre advised minor sea level fluctuations could continue for hours after the earthquake.

Arequipa Governor Yamila Osorio said on Twitter that 20 "light injuries" were reported in the town of Cacha, while there was minor material damage including some collapsed roads.

Several municipalities were without electricity, and many adobe houses had collapsed, Ms Osorio said.

There were no reports of any deaths so far.
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes in the Pacific Ocean near Acarí in Peru's Arequipa Region resulting in 1 death and 65 injured.