Peru Earthquake: Massive 6.3 Quake Hits Near Ica

By Gracie Lee, Christian Post Contributor Monday, January 30, 2012

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit the coast of Peru early on Monday, causing minor injuries, according to local authorities.

As yet there are no reports of deaths or serious damage from the quake, which hit just after midnight local time.

The tremor was centered about 9 miles southeast of the city of Ica and about 170 miles south-southeast of Lima, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Fortunately Peru's major mining regions are located far away from where the quake hit, and no damage has been reported from mining operations in the nation.

Peru's capital was shaken up, and witnesses have described how buildings shook and some were injured. Local radio has reported that residents near the epicenter ran outside their homes when they felt the quake.

So far 96 people have suffered minor injuries, according to the radio source, which itself cited the government civil defense agency.

"We felt a terrible earthquake that's really scared us," Ica resident Blanca Cabanilla told the local radio. "It was similar to what happened to us in 2007."

In 2007 a massive 8.0 earthquake hit the country and killed more than 500 people in Ica.