Homes collapse, dozens injured after strong quake rocks central Peru

[News_Editor]

Homes collapse, dozens injured after strong quake rocks central Peru

2011-10-30 02:15:32 GMT+7 (ICT)

ICA, PERU (BNO NEWS) -- Dozens of people were injured and more than 130 homes were destroyed when a strong earthquake struck south of the Peruvian city of Ica on early Friday afternoon, officials said on Saturday.

Civil Defense officials said at least 83 people were injured when a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck about 51 kilometers (32 miles) south-southwest of Ica, the capital of the region which carries the same name. It struck about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) deep.

In addition to the number of injuries, at least 132 homes collapsed while dozens more were damaged, leaving more than 1,000 people affected. Many went to relatives and friends while shelter was being provided to some families.

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, who asked for calm, was in Paraguay when the strong earthquake struck Ica. "Earthquakes are something we cannot predict," he said. Humala later decided to cut short his visit to Paraguay and travel to Ica.

Peru is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region.

In late August, several people were injured when a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck 44 kilometers (27 miles) east of Contamana, a town in the Loreto Region in northeastern Peru. It struck about 149 kilometers (92 miles) deep.

And in August 2007, at least 514 people were killed and more than 1,000 others were injured when a massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck the central coast of Peru, generating a small tsunami which flooded some areas.

But Peru's most catastrophic earthquake happened in May 1970 when a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck about 36 kilometers (22 miles) off the coast of northwestern Peru, killing at least 66,794 people. More than 50,000 others were injured.

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