1 killed, 5 injured in magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Lima, Peru

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Peru’s capital, Lima, has left one person dead and at least five others injured, according to local officials. Several buildings and homes were also damaged.

The earthquake struck at 11:35 a.m. local time on Sunday and was centered off the coast, approximately 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Callao, within the Lima Metropolitan Area, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at a depth of 53.5 kilometers (33 miles). Peru’s Institute of Geophysics reported a stronger magnitude, estimating it at 6.1.

Peru’s National Emergency Management Center confirmed one fatality and five injuries. It also reported an undetermined number of homes and roads with damage, as well as five health facilities affected.

The death occurred when a motorcycle taxi driver, waiting for a passenger outside a building in Lima, was struck and killed by falling debris caused by the earthquake, according to local media reports.

Footage shared in the immediate aftermath showed the shaking lasted for several seconds. Several landslides and rockfalls were also captured along roads near densely populated areas.

The quake briefly interrupted a live soccer match between Peruvian clubs Sporting Cristal and Deportivo Garcilaso. As the shaking began, the match was paused and commentators urged for calm. A large plume of dust could be seen in the background, later drifting into the stadium.

According to the USGS impact assessment, more than 7 million people may have experienced moderate shaking, including most of the capital region. Another 4 million may have experienced light shaking.

Peru lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast seismically active region encircling much of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire is known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, though it is not a single unified geological system.

Lima and its surrounding provinces have experienced destructive earthquakes in recent decades. Notably, the 2007 Pisco earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 event that killed nearly 600 people and caused widespread damage, including in the capital.