A 7.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded on Thursday at 13:00 hours, according to Peru's Geophysical Institute. The epicentre was located 35 kilometres north of Coracora, in Parinacochas province, Ayacucho region, at a depth of 108 kilometres. The institute indicated that the intensity was level III-IV in Coracora, while the tremor lasted approximately one minute and was felt across southern Peru, including Arequipa, Ica, Cusco and Apurímac.
In Parinacochas province, three people were injured and received medical attention at Coracora Apoyo Hospital and were discharged. The preliminary count indicated that 498 homes were affected, with 83 damaged, six uninhabitable and one destroyed. The earthquake also impacted educational and health infrastructure, with 21 educational institutions and 26 health facilities damaged.
Regional Governor of Ayacucho, Wilfredo Oscorima, announced that he will request the government declare a state of emergency for Parinacochas province, in order to use the Regional Compensation Fund to assist those affected and allocate budget for recovery and reconstruction work. Oscorima detailed that attention is focused on the recovery of irrigation infrastructure, which was impacted and requires immediate intervention.
The earthquake also caused damage in other southern regions. In the town of Mollepata, Anta province in Cusco, the detachment of a large mass of ice from the Humantay snowfield, located at 4,100 metres altitude and 120 kilometres from Cusco, was recorded—a phenomenon captured by travellers present in the area.
