At least five killed in central Peru earthquake

DPASun, July 19, 2026 at 5:03 PM UTC1 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

At least five people were killed and 21 others injured after a powerful earthquake struck central Peru, authorities said on Sunday.

The hardest-hit area was the Junín region in the central highlands of the Andean country, according to Peruvian broadcaster RPP, which cited the head of the national civil defence agency.

Peru's Geophysical Institute (IGP) measured the quake at magnitude 5.1, while the US Geological Survey put it at magnitude 5.5.

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The earthquake struck at around 9:24 pm on Saturday (0224 GMT Sunday) at a depth of 24 kilometres, south of the town of Chupaca in Junín province, the IGP said.

Regional authorities said 49 homes were destroyed in the village of Pumpunya, leaving around 200 people homeless.

The Health Ministry set up a mobile medical station and deployed a field hospital to the disaster area.

The IGP said it had recorded 12 aftershocks following the initial earthquake.

Peru is frequently hit by earthquakes because several tectonic plates converge beneath the country. Along with neighbouring Chile and Ecuador, it lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the world's most seismically active zone.