A magnitude 7.5 earthquake rocked northern Peru on Sunday, collapsing a 16th-century Catholic church tower although no deaths or serious injuries were immediately reported.
The quake struck at the sparsely populated region at 5:52 local time, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The quake was deep, about 70 miles below the Earth's surface, a factor that can sometimes reduces damage to buildings and infrastructure.
The epicenter was 25 miles northwest of Barranca, a coastal city of 63,000 people about 100 miles north of Lima.
Photos from the scene showed a pile of rubble where the historic, 45-foot tall tower had stood. Social media posts also showed damage elsewhere in the region, and the quake was felt across Peru's northern border in Colombia and Equador.
Walter Culqui, mayor of the city of Jalca Grande, told RPP Noticias that, of the 3,000 families in the city, "60 or 70%" had some damage to their homes. Three people suffered minor injuries, Culqui said.
He said the city will need machinery to move the rubble from blocked roads and battered homes.
The U.S. National Weather Service said no tsunami warnings, watches or threats were issued as a result of the quake.
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The quake struck hours after a magnitude 5.1 temblor with the epicenter in the outskirts of Lima rattled the region. Hernando Tavera, head of the Geophysical Institute of Peru, said at least four aftershocks took place after the latter quake, and he warned residents to prepare for more aftershocks.
"The earthquakes occur because they are part of the evolutionary process of planet earth," Tavera told RPP Notici.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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