A magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook Peru, causing six deaths. Numerous buildings were damaged, leaving over 300 people homeless.
On Sunday, 19 Jul 2026 GMT+7, Peruvian authorities reported that a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Andes region at around 21:24 local time on Saturday, 18 Jul. The quake caused at least six deaths, over 30 injuries, and left about 300 people homeless.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake's epicenter was approximately 2 kilometers southwest of Sicaya city in Huancayo province, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Peru's National Civil Defense Institute stated in a release that the exact number of missing persons is unknown. Several buildings collapsed or suffered structural damage, including local churches and convents.
Luis Vasquez, head of the local civil defense office, told reporters that the use of "raw bricks" or sun-dried mud bricks, a traditional building material in the Andes, "contributed to the severity of the impact and damage."
Peru experiences frequent earthquakes as it lies within the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," the world's longest tectonic plate boundary.
Images released by local media show residents in the agricultural area of Chongo Bajo, the hardest-hit zone, huddled under blankets outside heavily damaged homes. Pets were also found buried under the rubble.
"My house has been completely destroyed," Hermenegilda Guamalato told a local radio station as she sought temporary shelter with her three children in nearby Huayucachi district.
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Source:the guardian