Earthquake shakes Peru's Andes region, killing at least 5, displacing hundreds

A almighty earthquake ripped done Peru's Andes portion overnight, sidesplitting astatine slightest 5 radical and leaving hundreds displaced arsenic homes and a religion collapsed, with authorities informing Sunday that an chartless fig of radical stay missing.

The magnitude 5.5 quake struck soon aft 9:20 p.m. Saturday adjacent the metropolis of Sicaya successful cardinal Peru, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake injured much than 20 radical and forced astatine slightest 300 residents from their homes, Peru's National Civil Defense Institute said.

Officials were inactive trying to relationship for missing residents Sunday aft respective buildings collapsed oregon were near unsafe, including a section religion and convent.

SECURITY GUARD SURVIVES EIGHT DAYS BENEATH COLLAPSED SHOPPING CENTER AFTER VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES

Residents locomotion amid the debris of homes that collapsed aft an earthquake struck Pumpuya, Peru, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Ninanya)

Authorities said the region's wide usage of accepted adobe operation apt made the harm worse. Luis Vásquez, caput of the section civilian defence office, said the rustic gathering materials "contributed to the greater interaction and damage."

A centrifugal tricycle is stuck amid the debris of homes that collapsed aft an earthquake struck Pumpuya, Peru, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jhefry Sedano)

Images from the hard-hit farming assemblage of Chongo Bajo showed families wrapped successful blankets extracurricular damaged homes arsenic neighbors picked done the rubble. Animals could besides beryllium seen trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

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"My location has been destroyed," nonmigratory Hermenegilda Guamalato told section vigor portion looking for structure with her 3 children successful the neighboring state of Huayucachi.

Residents basal adjacent to the covered bodies of neighbors who were killed aft an earthquake struck Pumpuya, Peru, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Ninanya)

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Peru sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," 1 of the world's astir progressive earthquake zones. In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the coastal state of Pisco, sidesplitting astir 600 people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.