Move FM Global News

PUERTO MALDONADO, Peru – Peru’s southeastern region was jolted by a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the early hours of Friday. 

In its update on Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) said that it had recorded massive underground shocks in the South American country at 4:04 am local time (09:04 UTC).

The U.S.G.S. said that the epicenter of the massive quake was located 250 kms northwest of Peru’s Puerto Moldonado city.

It added that the epicenter of the quake was at a depth of 610 kms near the country’s southeastern city, which is close to Peru’s border with Brazil.

Meanwhile, no immediate reports of damage or casualties have emerged from the affected areas in Peru.

In the hours after the quake struck the disaster-prone region, there was no tsunami warning issued by the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

However, several residents from areas surrounding the epicenter took to social media sites and reported experiencing two strong aftershocks.

While authorities have not confirmed the aftershocks, some Twitter users from the Peruvian town of Pucallpa reported the strong shocks. 

Pucallpa lies on the northwest of the epicenter of the early morning 7.1 quake. 

Further, reports pointed out that social media users from across the country reported feeling the tremors, and some even experienced the jolt as far away as Arica in northern Chile.

Chile’s Fire Service later confirmed that the country experienced the shaking, but added on Twitter that the quake did not have the potential to generate any shocks off the Chilean coast.

Located on the Pacific Rim of South America, Peru is prone to earthquakes since the country lies the boundary of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates.

However, such disasters usually cause extensive damage in the country, where homes are built with precarious materials that fail to withstand several jolts. 

In its worst tragedies in recent times, southern Peru was jolted by a devastating 8.1 magnitude earthquake in 2001.

The quake killed at least 74 people and triggered a tsunami

More recently, the country suffered a powerful 7.1 magnitude quake which killed two people and left almost 140 others injured in the Arequipa region.