6.3 magnitude earthquake rattles coast of Peru- 119 injured

January 30, 2012 – PERU – A earthquake of 6.3 magnitude rattled the coast of Peru early on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The quake occurred shortly after midnight local time (1 a.m. ET) and was centered about 9 miles southeast of the city of Ica and about 170 miles south-southeast of Lima. Witnesses said the quake shook buildings in coastal Lima, Peru’s capital. Although there were no reported injuries or damage, local radio said residents near the epicenter were alarmed and ran outside their homes when they felt the quake. Power was out in nearby Pisco, the radio said. “We felt a terrible earthquake that’s really scared us,” Ica resident Blanca Cabanilla told the local radio. “It was similar to what happened to us in 2007.” An 8.0 quake in 2007 killed more than 500 people in Ica and wrecked thousands of homes. –Reuters 

According to local media reports, 119 people were injured after a 6.3 -degree earthquake shook Peru early Monday morning. The injury toll is expected to continue to increase as Ica’s Civil Defense office continues to update its reports. Authorities also reported 16 homes were damaged, and one was made uninhabitable. Officials continue to evaluate Ica’s rural areas. Cesar Chonate, head of Indeci in Ica, said most of the injuries had been minor bumps and bruises. “There is only one case of a pelvic fracture, which is considered more serious, but all the rest have been bumps, cuts, bruises, which have resulted from people trying to desperately evacuate their homes, and rolled down the stairs,” he said, according to El Comercio. Many residents spent the night in parks and streets due to fears of possible aftershocks. According to RPP, the quake was felt in Lima, Ica, Chincha, Pisco, Ancansh, Huancayo, Huanuco, Arequipa and Cusco. Peru’s Geophysical Institute said tremor’s epicenter was located 47 kilometers southwest of the city of Ica and had a depth of 48 kilometers. –Peru this week