An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck along Peru’s eastern border with Brazil and Bolivia on Friday, AP reported.
The quake hit at a depth of 609 km. The epicentre was 138 km west of the Peruvian town of Inapari and 226 km west of Bolivia’s Cobija. Tremors were also felt in northern Chile and Medellin in Colombia.
Chile’s Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero tweeted to express solidarity with Peru and offered his country’s cooperation if needed.
Peru is vulnerable to earthquakes because it is located between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, TeleSur TV reported. The Latin American news channel said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had ruled out the possibility of a tsunami.
In January, two people were killed and more than 65 injured after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck southern Peru. The earthquake hit at a depth of around 36 km, with its epicentre in the Pacific Ocean, more than 30 km from the seaside town of Acari in the region of Arequipa.
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