Peru's 2007 Earthquake

A powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Peru, killing at least 337 people and injuring hundreds more, Peru's civil defense institute says. All but one of the deaths were in the coastal province of Ica, about 265km (165 miles) south of the capital, Lima. In Lima, buildings shook violently during the prolonged tremors, prompting residents to take to the streets.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was beneath the Pacific Ocean, about 145km (90 miles) south-east of Lima. Four strong aftershocks ranging from 5.4 to 5.9 followed, the organization said. Rush-hour traffic in Lima came to a halt as buildings shook with the force of the powerful tremors and hundreds of people spilled onto the streets.

"Usually you don't feel a tremor when outside, but the pavement was rippling, so I fled to the park where the ground continued to move under our feet," a resident of Lima, Bronwyn Davis, told the BBC News website.

"What was even more frightening was the roar of the quake coupled with the sky lighting up. It was surreal - if felt like we had stepped onto the set of some war movie."

Berenice, another resident, said the earthquake was the strongest she had ever felt.

"For some it seemed like the end of the world, and most people I know are still nervous," she said.

But the full devastating force of the earthquake was felt closer to the epicentre in the southern coastal province of Ica, where it brought down buildings, cut power supplies and disrupted communications.

Low-lying coastal areas in Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia were evacuated after a tsunami alert was issued, but the warning was later withdrawn.


Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6948888.stm