5 dead, 20 injured as 5.5 magnitude earthquake hits Peru

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck central Peru on Saturday night, killing at least five people and injuring around 20 others, according to La Republica newspaper on Sunday.

The earthquake hit near the town of Chupaca at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), the US Geological Survey said, as authorities continued to assess the full extent of the damage.

The hardest-hit area was the district of Chongos Bajo, where the fatalities were reported, although officials had not yet released the identities of the victims.

The tremor also damaged several historic religious monuments and other heritage sites, while power outages were reported across several districts.

Emergency teams were deployed to the affected areas to carry out search, rescue, and damage assessment operations.