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Early Sunday morning, May 26, 2019 at 02.41am local time a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale shock northern Peru killing at least one person, injuring at least 18 and causing damages to homes and infrastructure.
According to the US Geological Survey the epicenter of the quake was located in the area of the Pacaya Samiria National Park about 75km east of Yurimaguas in the Loreto region of northern Peru. The earthquake was felt strongly throughout northern and central Peru and southern Ecuador as well as Brazil and Colombia.
The region hardest hit by the tremor is the area around Yurimaguas and Tarapoto – the two largest towns in the epicentral region in the Peruvian Amazon, but the shaking could still be felt strongly in Andean and coastal villages and cities hundreds of kilometers away such as the port city of Trujillo in Peru, the Ecuadorian port of Guayaquil, Iquitos and even Lima more than 1000km south.
Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra and other top government officials arrived in Yurimaguas on Sunday morning to evaluate the damage caused by the heavy quake.
According to Peruvian officials one man lost his life and 18 people (11 in Peru and 7 in neighboring Ecuador) were injured. More then 50 houses were severely damaged making them uninhabitable. Damaged as well are numerous roadways and other infrastructure. The road connecting Tarapoto and Yurimaguas is closed due to a collapsed bridge.
Unfortunately due to the intensity of the earthquake more casualties and damages as well as strong aftershocks can be expected.
Earthquakes are a common occurrence in Peru. Find more info in our article “Earthquakes in Peru – Why they occur and how to stay safe”.
