By Danielle Silvia
Staff Writer
Two people were killed and 65 were injured when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Peru on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 4:18 a.m. The earthquake’s damage stretched over much of southern Peru, especially in the coastal towns of Acari and Chala in the coastal province of Caravelí, according to BBC.
Though the earthquake hit 25 miles off the coast of Acari, it was so strong that residents of the capital city Lima, 350 miles away, were able to feel its effects, according to NBC.
One of the victims, a 55-year old man, was discovered crushed underneath a rock in the city of Yauca. Another victim died in the same region, in the town of Bella Union, according to Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysics Institute of Peru, via CNN.
The earthquake caused power outages and landslides that blocked several major roadways. Many houses and buildings were damaged or destroyed entirely. Adobe houses are common in southern Peru, but the structures are prone to collapse during earthquakes, according to BBC.
The Peruvian government is taking action to help those affected and protect the people who are still in the area. President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski expressed his intention to visit the affected region on Twitter.
Kuczynski plans to “verify the magnitude of the damage and send the needed humanitarian aid,” according to NBC.
After the earthquake, a tsunami threat message was issued to coastal areas of Peru and Chile. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reasoned that the strong magnitude of the earthquake posed a possible threat for tsunami waves along these shorelines and thus warned the citizens, according to NBC.
According to the tsunami threat message, waves were reaching “0.3 meters to one meter above the tide level for some coasts of Peru.” The threat message was revoked once once the waves died down and at approximately 5:45 a.m., according to ABC.
Some aftershocks were observed in coastal Peru, and evacuations occurred shortly afterward, according to The New York Times.
The tremor began with a shift in the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. Throughout the last 100 years, 13 earthquakes with a magnitude over 6.5 began between these plates, according to BBC.
Jorge Chávez, Peru’s Chief of Civil Defense, said that damage to the roads is hindering rescue efforts. Many provincial and secluded roadways have become essential in connecting coastal regions to several neighborhoods in Peru, according to The New York Times.
Planes carrying tents, blankets and other aid have been dispatched to Acari and Chala in response to the disaster, according to BBC.
