An 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck northern Peru on Sunday morning, according to preliminary readings from the United States Geological Survey.
The earthquake's epicenter was at an approximate depth of 115 km, according to USGS, and could be felt as far afield as Lima, Peru; Caracas, Venezuela; and Quito, Ecuador.
There are reports of injuries and damages to homes and roadways, Peru's President Martin Vizcarra said in a statement on state TV.
The most affected areas were the cities of Yurimaguas and Tarapoto in the Peruvian Amazon, Vizcarra said.
"We already have reports of injuries, of affected homes, collapsed highways and a bridge that connects Yurimaguas with Tarapoto has also collapsed," Vizcarra said.
The country's civil protection agency is sending teams to the affected areas, he added.
Five injuries were confirmed by the country's health ministry on Twitter.
Two of the injured are from the city of Yurimaguas, and the other injuries were from other provinces in the Amazon region, the ministry said.
"The strong earthquake that occurred early this morning was felt in several regions of the country," Vizcarra tweeted earlier Sunday.
"We are evaluating the affected areas. I ask all of our citizens to remain calm."
The earthquake was the strongest in Peru in 12 years, Vizcarra said.
Peru's National Emergency Operations Center tweeted that the earthquake was felt in several regions of the country, and monitoring continues.
The country's interior ministry tweeted photos of damaged houses in the northern Amazonas region, adding that police were on site to protect affected areas.
Ecuador's President Lenín Moreno also tweeted: "I am awaiting of the information about the strong earthquake recorded this morning."
In January 2018 a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit southern Peru, killing two people.
At least 65 people were injured in the cities of Arequipa, Ica and Ayacucho in southern Peru, the National Civil Defense Institute reported.
On August 15, 2007 a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck about 100 miles south of the Peruvian capital of Lima, killing approximately 514 people.
A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Amazon rainforest in north-central Peru on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Peru's National Emergency Operations Center registered a magnitude of 7.2 for the earthquake, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Pictures posted on Twitter by the Ministry of the Interior of Peru showed considerable damage and building collapses in Yurimaguas, a town with over 62,000 inhabitants.
#AHORA Información de la @PoliciaPeru en #Yurimaguas da cuenta sobre derrumbes de casonas en AA.HH. Las Praderas. Asimismo, en barrio de Macao, en el distrito de San Lorenzo, provincia Datem del Marañón, policías brindan protección y calma a población afectada. pic.twitter.com/gAc9UbNU1t— Mininter Perú (@MininterPeru) May 26, 2019
A video showed the facade of a church in Ecuador lying in ruins on the ground.
Local law enforcement agents were "patrolling the streets to calm down the population and receive information about housing collapses due to the strong earthquake," the Ministry of the Interior of Peru said.
Power outages have occurred in some communities, the AP reported.
Primeras imágenes luego de los sismos ocurridos en Yurimaguas, Alto Amazonas, Loreto. #AlertasBomberos— Bomberos Perú (@bomberosPE) May 26, 2019
Video: @bomberosPE pic.twitter.com/miV5ak8Gf6
"We are evaluating the affected areas," President of the Republic of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, said on Twitter. "I ask all of our citizens to remain calm."
"Daily showers and thunderstorms in the vicinity can slow cleanup and recovery efforts this week," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller. "There is also the threat for a local downpour."
The temblor struck 47 miles (75 km) southeast of Lagunas, Peru, at a depth of 68 miles (110 km) below the earth's surface. Lagunas is home to nearly 10,000 people.
The location of the powerful earthquake that struck Peru on Sunday, May 24, 2019, is noted by the star. (USGS)
The USGS issued a yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses.
"Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized," the USGS stated. "Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional level response."
No comments:
Post a Comment