A strong earthquake of over  7 on the Richter scale shattered Peru, casualties rising at more than 71 people killed and at least 680 injured, announced governmental sources.  

Central Peru was the most affected, the towns of Ica and Pisco were the most damaged, according to Deputy Health Minister Jose Calderon.

The first and most powerful shock struck at 6:41 p.m. (23:41 GMT), reaching 7.5 magnitude on the Richter scale, followed by about two minute of aftershocks, three of them being very strong.

The earthquake, which was also felt in Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia, was reported by the US Geological Survey to have reached 7.9 magnitude. Its epicenter was located 41 kilometers beneath the ocean, near  Pisco city, about 45 kilometres west-north-west of Chincha Alta, and 145 kilometres south-south-east of Lima.

To Ica and the provinces of Canete and Chincha, the earthquake was extremely powerful, the strongest in 50 years, damaging a large number of houses and causing a church to collapse in Ica. Also, the town was left without electricity and the firefighters and the other rescue workers continued their research of survivors in the darkness.

In Lima the damage was limited, but chaos reigned, as thousands of people left their apartments for the streets. Reports from hospitals talk about patients injured by broken glass and others suffering from shock and panic. Two people were reported to having died of heart attacks.