At least 6 people killed, hundreds displaced after earthquake rocks Peru
A powerful earthquake struck Peru's Huancayo province, resulting in at least six deaths and widespread displacement. Local officials noted that the use of traditional adobe construction materials significantly increased the structural damage caused by the quake.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the ongoing vulnerability of rural Andean communities to seismic activity and the risks associated with traditional building practices.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake struck on Saturday at 9:24 p.m., with its epicentre located two kilometres west-southwest of the city of Sicaya in Huancayo province. It was 10 kilometres deep.
Peru's National Civil Defence Institute said in a statement that the total number of missing is still unknown. Several buildings collapsed or suffered structural damage, including the local church and convent.
Luis Vasquez, head of the local civil defence office, told journalists that the use of rustic adobe materials in construction in that Andean area "has contributed to the greater impact and damage."
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