Keiko Fujimori leads national drill in Lima ahead of potential 8.8 quake
Thousands of Peruvians took part in the country's second National Multi-hazard Drill of 2026 on Friday, as authorities highlighted the risk of a potential magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the central coast.
The exercise, organised by the National Institute of Civil Defence (INDECI), simulated an earthquake with its epicentre 60 kilometres west of Callao, followed by a tsunami alert sent to mobile phones.
President Keiko Fujimori led the drill from Lima's Plaza de Armas, presenting a hypothetical assessment of nearly 11,000 deaths, more than 165,000 injuries and around 2.2 million displaced people.
"If this had been real, this would be the report I would have to give," Fujimori said, stressing that the figures were part of the simulation and calling for continued disaster preparedness.
INDECI official Catherine Palacios said the exercise also marked 19 years since the 2007 Pisco earthquake. Fire Brigade official Marcos Pajuelo said the drill was aimed at testing emergency preparedness amid concerns over the prolonged period without a major earthquake along Peru's central coast.
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According to the Geophysical Institute of Peru, the area has not experienced a large-magnitude earthquake since 1746, while seismic energy continues to accumulate due to the convergence of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
