Written by Staff Writer
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck near the Peruvian capital of Lima on Friday, killing one person and injuring six.
The quake, with its epicenter centered around 6 miles north of the town of Los Roques, was felt in nearby countries such as Chile, Mexico and Colombia, with people reporting fleeing buildings in panic. The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.6, but later downgraded the magnitude to 7.5.
Lima Mayor Luis Castañeda said that according to preliminary information, three buildings collapsed, including a seven-floor building in the Cappadocia area. One person died in Cappadocia, according to a tweet from the official Twitter account of Lima’s Mayor.
There were no reports of major damage in Lima, an area that had already experienced heavy tremors in recent weeks. On September 18, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck south of the city, killing a man.
“Mining authorities in Peru have alerted that activity at Arequipa’s Antamina copper mine remains normal after Thursday’s large earthquake,” said Reuters in a report Friday. Arequipa is home to the Antamina mine.
The USGS reported that the earthquake shook hard in dozens of locales, and that its depth extended about 23 miles.
The USGS does not usually advise that people run from homes in earthquake advisory areas. But the agency warned in a Friday update, “People in areas affected by earthquakes and aftershocks are advised to avoid buildings that have had significant damage and to avoid roads and bridges that have been damaged.”