Magnitude 7.5 earthquake strikes northern Peru

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World The earthquake occurred at 5:52 am on Sunday local time. The epicenter was 26 miles northwest of the coastal city of Barranca.

by Associated Press

November 28, 2021 | 8:23 am

LIMA, Peru (AP) – A strong earthquake with an initial magnitude of 7.5 has struck northern Peru, the US Geological Survey said.

The earthquake occurred at 5:52 am on Sunday local time (10:52 GMT). Although it was extremely powerful, it was relatively deep – measuring 112 kilometers – which usually reduced damage and losses.

The epicenter was 26 miles northwest of the coastal city of Barranca.

A 14-meter-high tower in a protected four-century-old church collapsed shortly after the 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Sunday in northern Peru, according to local media and witnesses.

Videos and photos posted online showed the historic tower, part of a 16th-century complex once considered the oldest Catholic temple in the Amazonas, reduced to a pile of stones, although the main lobby remains.

Social media posts also showed damage to other sites, including a church in southern Ecuador. The earthquake was also felt in Colombia.

The Ministry of Defense’s National Institute of Civil Defense of Peru did not immediately report damage or injuries from the earthquake.

Earthquakes are common in Peru, which lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire where 85% of the planet’s seismic activity occurs.

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