An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was felt this Monday, August 18 in the Arequipa region, in southern Peru, with no damage reported so far, informed the National Emergency Operations Center (COEN).
According to information released by the state agency, the earthquake occurred at 07:47 local time (12:47 GMT) at a depth of 112 kilometers.
Earthquake in Arequipa, Peru
The epicenter of the earthquake was located 18 kilometers west of Aplao, in the Arequipa province of Castilla and was perceived as slight among the population.
The COEN added that no damages have been reported so far and that the corresponding monitoring is being carried out in vulnerable areas.
Peru is located in an area of the world known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 85% of the planet’s seismic activity is registered.
The last devastating earthquake in the country occurred off Pisco in August 2007, when a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck that town and the entire Ica region, causing more than 500 deaths and millions of dollars in infrastructure and housing losses.
On August 12, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake was reported in the region of Ancash, in northern Peru, with no casualties or material damage reported, informed the National Emergency Operations Center (COEN), detailing that the quake was classified as mild to moderate.
According to the information released by the state agency at that time, the earthquake occurred at 19.54 local time (00.54 GMT) and its epicenter was in the sea, 81 kilometers west of the town of Chimbote, on the northern coast of the country and about 450 kilometers from Lima.
The depth of the earthquake was 43 kilometers and its intensity was III-IV, which according to the COEN scale means that it was perceived as mild to moderate by the population.
For its part, the Peruvian Navy announced on its social networks that the earthquake did not generate a tsunami warning.
Peru is located in an area of the world known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 85% of the planet’s seismic activity is registered.
The most recent devastating earthquake in the Andean country occurred off Pisco in August 2007, when a 7.9 magnitude quake struck that town and the entire region of Ica and left 500 people dead, as well as millions of dollars in losses in infrastructure and housing.
