Powerful earthquake kills 20 in Peru

Aug 16: A powerful earthquake followed by some tremors hit Peru's coast near the capital on late Wednesday destructing some building, which caused the death of at least 20 people, local media confirmed.

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Earthquake also generated a weak tsunami that was destructive, authorities confirmed.

According to local media, a powerful earthquake hit in the southeast of Lima at 6:40 p.m. (2341 GMT) that collapsed many poor buildings, which killed at least 20 people and injured more than 200 people. Four strong aftershocks were also felt afterward and a weak tsunami emerged in the coastal area of Peru but did not prove destructive.

Health Minister of Peru Carlos Vallejos confirmed the 15 deaths and 70 injuries while local hospitals and Civil Defense have claimed to death toll of at least 22 people and 200 injuries without providing details.

The US Geological Survey measured the initial quake at 7.9 on the Richter scale while Peru's Institute for Geophysics measured it at 7.5 at a depth of 25 miles (41 kilometers). Two minutes of tremors have been measured ranging from magnitudes of 5.4 to 5.9 running from its epicenter off the coast near the city of Pisco, about 45 kilometers west-north-west of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 145 kilometers south-south-east of Lima, the US Geological Survey said.

Peru's highly respected Cable news station Canal N reported the collapsing of a church in the city of Ica south of Lima that killed alone17 people and injured 70. The major cause of injuries held due to collapsing of buildings and broken glass, local hospitals informed. One hospital said they are still receiving injured body while State doctors have called off a national strike that began on Wednesday to handle the emergency.

An Associated Press photographer said that some homes had collapsed in the center of Lima and that many people had fled into the streets for safety. The capital shook for more than a minute. ''It wasn't big enough to be destructive,'' said Stuart Weinstein, the center's assistant director.

“The ground rumbled for two minutes before a large shake came. People fled into the streets for safety from high-rise buildings.”, said an AP photographer. This quake has affected the power and water supply as some lines have been ruptured. Telephone lines were also cut.

Peru’s President Alan Garcia appealed people to have calm and patience and ordered to close schools on Thursday because the building may be unsafe. He also ordered to police to keep on patrolling in the streets to solve the problems of general public. He appeared on a nationwide several hours later to quake. President thanked god for not being too much damages, as it apparently had not caused a catastrophe. ''Thank you God Almighty, these terrible quakes did not cause a high death toll like in other years,'' president said.

He ordered to send the country's health minister and two other Cabinet members to Ica, 165 miles southeast of Lima, where news reports said the quake hit hardest.

It was one of the world's biggest quakes strikes in subduction zones including the catastrophic Indian Ocean temblor in 2004 that generated deadly tsunami waves.