LIMA, June 28, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the
southern coast of Peru early Friday, injuring eight people and prompting
brief tsunami fears.

The United States Geological Survey said the tremor hit 8.8 kilometers (5.5
miles) from the southern region of Atiquipa.

The quake was felt in Lima and a large part of the southern and central coast
of Peru.

The earthquake left eight people injured, the Peruvian health ministry wrote
on X.

The mayor of southern Yauca, Juan Aranguren, told local media that walls came
down in his town.

A major highway running through the area also suffered cracks, he said.
"The children were crying, the earthquake was felt strongly," said a villager
from the area.

Speaking to RPP radio, Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen: "I want to convey
calm. The earthquake has passed, we are making the first evaluations, and so
far there are no fatalities."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had earlier said "hazardous tsunami waves
are forecast for some coasts," but later said the threat had passed.

Peru, with some 33 million inhabitants, lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of
Fire, a vast area of intense seismic activity that runs along the west coast
of the Americas.

Peru is hit by hundreds of detectable quakes every year.