7.5-magnitude quake hits northern Peru

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 shook the northern Peruvian department of Amazonas Sunday morning, leaving injuries and damage to infrastructure according to preliminary reports, the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) confirmed, reported Xinhua.

The earthquake was registered at 5:52 a.m. local time (1052 GMT) at a depth of 131 km and 98 km east of the town of Santa Maria de Nieva in the province of Condorcanqui near the border with Ecuador.

The first report from the National Emergency Operations Center ruled out aftershocks and recorded two injured people, one in the city of Luya and the other in Chachapoyas, both in the Amazonas department.

Local media reported damage to homes, most of them old and built from interwoven sticks and mud, with collapsed roofs as well as cracks in walls and roofs.

In the district of La Jalca, the tower of a local church from the 16th century, considered a historical heritage, collapsed, according to the daily El Comercio.

Meanwhile, the Peruvian Navy Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation ruled out a tsunami on the Peruvian coast.

The earthquake was felt in several cities in Peru, as well as several parts of Ecuador and Colombia, authorities in those countries confirmed.

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said via Twitter that he had arranged for immediate action from relevant bodies, adding, "You are not alone, brothers. We will support those affected and will act against material damages."