Emergency.Blog

7.5 Quakes Rock Peru; At least 17 Dead

22:40 CDT - 15 Aug 2007

At least 17 Dead in Peru; Rescue Efforts Continue

Update 3 -- (EmergencyNet News): Peru's Cable news station Canal N reported that the 7.9 magnitude quake had caused a church to collapse in the city of Ica south of Lima, killing 17 people and injuring 70. EmergencyNet News is receiving several reports of building collapses and a high potential for people to be buried in the rubble. Few confirmed reports from the rescue services have been received at the time of this situation-report, but media and witness accounts suggest that the death toll may rise.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. A tsunami watch was issued for the rest of Central America and Mexico. It also issued a tsunami advisory for Hawaii. The center later canceled the warnings and the watches, but it said the quake had caused a tsunami of unknown size.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit at 18:40 p.m. (19:40 p.m. EDT) about 90 miles southeast of Lima at a depth of about 25 miles. Four strong aftershocks ranging from magnitudes of 5.4 to 5.9 were felt afterwards, the USGS said. The latest USGS report suggests that the quake was actually 7.9 on the Richter scale.

Watch EmergencyNet News for additional information on this still emerging story...

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Update 2 -- Tsunami Warning Issued For S. America

WASHINGTON, DC: A tsunami warning has been issued for Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Colombia after two powerful earthquakes struck Peru late on Wednesday, said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.... Watch Emergencynet News for more details, as they become available...

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Magnitude 7.5 - NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL PERU

2007 August 15 23:41:20 UTC

Magnitude 7.5

Date-Time Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 23:41:20 UTC

Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 18:41:20 PM at epicenter

Location 12.226°S, 76.649°W

Depth 178.6 km (111.0 miles)

Region NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL PERU

Distances 45 km (30 miles) ESE of LIMA, Peru

145 km (90 miles) NNW of Chincha Alta, Peru

160 km (100 miles) W of Huancayo, Peru

165 km (100 miles) SE of Huacho, Peru

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 21.4 km (13.3 miles); depth +/- 7.5 km (4.7 miles)

Parameters Nst=146, Nph=146, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=0.78 sec, Gp=148°,

M-type=body magnitude (Mb), Version=6

Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID us2007gbcv

-- Source: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2007gbcv.php

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