A strong magnitude 6.7 earthquake has struck near the Andes Mountains in southern Peru.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at around 1 p.m. today at a location 38 km northwest of Hupahuacho in the Ayacucho region.

The depth of the hypocenter was measured at 66.7 km.

The earthquake was felt across multiple areas in southern Peru, including Ica and Arequipa.

The local Andina news agency reported that weak tremors were also felt in the capital, Lima.

Observation agencies showed discrepancies in their measurements, with the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) estimating the magnitude at 6.6 and Peru's Geophysical Institute (IGP) measuring it at 7.2.

Immediately following the earthquake, landslides involving collapsing rocks and dirt were witnessed on hills near Coracora, a city of 10,000 residents in the Ayacucho region closest to the epicenter.

Coracora Mayor Yony Odon said in an interview with a local broadcaster, "Residents evacuated to shelters and other areas after the earthquake."

Luis Vasquez, head of the National Civil Defense Institute, stated in an interview with local radio station RPP, "No form of damage has been reported so far."

Peru's naval authorities officially announced that there is no tsunami threat resulting from this earthquake.

Earthquakes frequently occur in Peru, which is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Back in 2007, a massive magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Ica region, resulting in the deaths of some 600 people.

In particular, with recent major earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher causing heavy damage in Venezuela and Colombia, concerns over earthquakes are also growing along the Pacific coast of South America, including Peru.

Some experts are even warning of the possibility of a mega-earthquake reaching magnitude 8.5 to 8.8 in the future due to accumulated energy off the central coast of Peru.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)