A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the Andes region of Peru on Tuesday, resulting in six fatalities and injuring at least 32 people, authorities reported. The tremor occurred near the town of Chongos Bajo, approximately 300 kilometers east of the capital, Lima, with the epicenter located at a depth of 24 kilometers beneath the surface.

Prime Minister Luis Enrique Arroya confirmed the casualties and provided details of the damage caused by the quake. General Luis Vasquez, director of the National Civil Defence Institute, said the shallow depth of the earthquake contributed to significant destruction in the affected area. Many homes in the region are constructed from adobe or a traditional mixture known as “quincha,” composed of wood, cane, and mud, which made structures particularly vulnerable to collapse. As a result, 48 houses were destroyed, leaving around 300 people homeless.

In addition to the initial quake, officials recorded a series of 12 aftershocks, which heightened concerns and complicated ongoing emergency response efforts. Local authorities have been mobilizing to provide assistance to displaced families and to assess the structural integrity of remaining buildings.

This earthquake is the latest in a series of seismic events to impact Peru, a country prone to earthquakes due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country’s most recent significant and deadly earthquake occurred in 2007 when a magnitude 7.9 tremor struck the port city of Pisco in the southern Ica region, causing 595 deaths.

Emergency services continue to monitor the situation in Chongos Bajo and surrounding areas while providing relief to those affected by the disaster.