Peru earthquake leaves families facing uninhabitable homes
Key Takeaways
- More than 50 homes were affected in Pullo, with at least 18 declared uninhabitable.
- Three people were injured, while no deaths have been reported across Peru.
- Schools, health facilities and electricity supplies were also affected by the earthquake.
Residents in Pullo appealed for help after the powerful earthquake damaged homes, schools and health facilities across southern Peru.
Families in southern Peru are assessing the damage after a strong earthquake left dozens of homes affected in the district of Pullo, Ayacucho.
More than 50 homes were reported damaged, with at least 18 declared uninhabitable, according to Jerson Altamirano, technical secretary of the Municipality of Pullo.
Homes were left with collapsed walls, damaged facades and visible cracks following Thursday's earthquake.
Altamirano said health facilities and schools were also damaged, while technical teams continued assessments across Pullo.
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Despite the destruction, he said no deaths had been recorded.
"We are not mourning any loss of human life. Thank God we are fine," he said.
No fatalities have been reported across Peru.
For residents whose homes were damaged, attention has turned to securing assistance.
Ayde Mendoza, a single mother affected by the earthquake, appealed directly to Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori for support.
"To Ms Keiko Fujimori [Peruvian president], please support us. Anything to help me," she said.
Another resident, Melissa Valerio, recalled being inside her shop when the earthquake struck.
"Very strong, very strong. It scared us quite a lot. At that time I was working here in my shop; we felt it and we went out, but it lasted a bit," she recounted.
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Valerio said damage to her home had made it unsafe to live in.
"My kitchen and the entire inner wall have collapsed. It is no longer fit to live in and, well, it makes us very sad to see our homes like this," she said through tears.
The Geophysical Institute of Peru recorded the earthquake at magnitude 7.2, with its epicentre 35 kilometres north of Coracora in Parinacochas Province, Ayacucho. It struck at a depth of 108 kilometres. The US Geological Survey later reported a magnitude of 6.7 for the same event.
According to the National Institute of Civil Defence, three people were injured and treated at the Hospital de Apoyo de Coracora.
Damage was also reported at 10 health service provider institutions in Ayacucho and two in Cusco, while six facilities belonging to the Ayacucho Health Network were affected.
The Ministry of Education's Sectoral Emergency Operations Centre reported damage at nine educational institutions in Ayacucho and two in Apurimac.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines also activated its contingency plan after electricity supplies were disrupted. The outage affected 6,023 customers in Nazca Province in Ica and another 2,990 in Puquio, Ayacucho.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
