M5.1 quake in Peru kills 5, destroys 48 homes
Chongos Bajo suffered the worst damage, with 21 injured and 300 residents left homeless after the shallow quake.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook Peru's Andes region on the night of July 18, killing five people. The Geophysical Institute of Peru said the quake also injured 21 people as the shaking hit Chongos Bajo, about 300 kilometers east of Lima. The epicenter was at a depth of 24 kilometers. National Civil Defense Institute director Luis Vasquez said 48 homes were destroyed and 300 people were left homeless. Many buildings in the area are made of adobe and quincha, a mix of wood, cane and mud, making them more vulnerable to collapse in shallow quakes. Emergency authorities were deployed for search operations and damage assessments, while several districts reported power outages and damage to historic monuments.