Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Peru, limited damage reported
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake has struck Peru, with reports of limited damage to homes and rockslides across the region, according to local media. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) does not expect casualties or major impacts.
The earthquake happened at about 1 p.m. local time on Thursday at a depth of 99 kilometers (62 miles) in the department of Ayacucho. It was felt across a wide area, including in Lima and near the border with Chile to the south.
There were reports of homes with significant cracks and some collapsed walls, but the overall impact appears to be limited. Rockslides were reported in several areas, though none appeared to have caused damage or casualties.
The USGS estimated that more than 100,000 people may have experienced moderate shaking, or level V on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, while only about 1,000 people may have felt strong shaking at level VI. The Mercalli scale measures how strongly an earthquake is felt at a specific location.
The earthquake was strong but relatively deep, which allowed it to be felt over a much wider area while reducing the most intense shaking at the surface. Shallow earthquakes of similar magnitude generally cause more concentrated and destructive damage.
#ÚLTIMAHORA Un sismo de magnitud 7,2 sacudió este jueves la región andina de Ayacucho, en Perú, según el IGP.
El epicentro se ubicó a 35 km de Cora Cora. Hasta el momento, las autoridades no reportan daños personales ni materiales. pic.twitter.com/pX5OvvTt4t
— Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) August 20, 2026
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
