Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 3 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “weak,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown. The New York Times
A strong, 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck in Peru on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The temblor happened at 1 p.m. Peru time about 19 miles northwest of Aniso, Peru, data from the agency shows.
The head of Peru’s Geophysical Institute said people ran into the streets when the quake struck, but that there were no initial signs of major damage. An official at Peru’s civil defense agency said the area near the epicenter is sparsely populated and that it might take some time to reach people there.
As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.
Genevieve Glatsky and Mitra Taj contributed reporting.
Sources: United States Geological Survey (epicenter, aftershocks, shake intensity); LandScan via Oak Ridge National Laboratory (population density) | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Peru time. Shake data is as of Thursday, Aug. 20 at 2:55 p.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Thursday, Aug. 20 at 3:01 p.m. Eastern.
