Powerful earthquake strikes Peru’s southern Andes, USGS says

A powerful earthquake has shaken Peru’s southern Andes Mountains. The magnitude 6.7 quake struck at 1 p.m. local time and was centered 38 kilometers (24 miles) northwest of the city of Upahuacho, in the Parinacochas province of the Ayacucho region. It was felt in several regions of southern Peru, including Ica and Arequipa. Earthquakes are frequent in Peru which is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of frequent seismic activity. In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in a province of the Ica region left nearly 600 people dead. Thursday’s quake comes after another earthquake struck Colombia last week, killing at least 314 people with another 262 still missing, President Abelardo De La Espriella said Wednesday. And in late June, Venezuela was hit by twin 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes, which led to a national death toll currently standing at 6,300 people. More to follow...