Strong M6.2 earthquake hits southern Peru

A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit southern Peru at 12:11 UTC (07:11 LT) on December 20, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 93 km (58 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.

The epicenter was located about 11.6 km (7.2 miles) SSE of Iray (population 305), 62.6 km (38.8 miles) NW of El Pedregal (population 20 063), 74.4 km (46.1 miles) N of Camaná (population 16 434), and 124.1 km (76.9 miles) WNW of Arequipa (population 1 008 290), Peru.

71 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking and 2 023 000 light.

The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and reinforced/confined masonry construction.

Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.

Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking

Selected cities exposed

Regional seismicity

Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google