A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck the central Andean mountain region of Peru, leaving at least 5 people dead.

The Associated Press reported on the 19th (local time), citing the United States Geological Survey (USGS), that the 5.5-magnitude quake occurred in the central Andes region of Peru at 9:24 p.m. the previous day.

The epicenter was located 2 kilometers southwest of Chicche in the Huancayo province of the Junin region.

The depth of the earthquake was 10 kilometers.

The Peruvian government issued a statement on this day, announcing that at least 5 people were killed and over 20 others were injured.

The number of missing persons has not yet been determined.

The earthquake caused the collapse of local church and convent buildings, and cracks appeared in some wards of a hospital.

Rescue teams faced difficulties overnight due to power outages, and military personnel were deployed for search and rescue operations.

According to Bloomberg, AFP, and other news agencies, power supply to 35,000 households was cut off until this day as power distribution lines were automatically shut down following the earthquake.

Videos reported by local media showed residents spending the night wrapped in blankets outside their collapsed adobe houses, as well as livestock trapped in the debris.

Damage is expected to be significant, particularly because many houses in this region are built using the quincha construction method, which utilizes a mixture of wood, reeds, and mud.

Peru is located on the Ring of Fire, a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes frequently occur.

In 2007, a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Pisco in the southern Ica region, claiming the lives of approximately 600 people.

Large-scale earthquakes have been occurring in succession across the Central and South American regions recently.

On June 24, consecutive powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 in Venezuela resulted in more than 5,000 deaths to date.

On the 17th of this month, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake occurred in the sea near the border between Mexico and Guatemala.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)