A magnitude 5.2 earthquake jolts southern Peru coast and residents report light to moderate shaking

LIMA, Peru (AP) — A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck a coastal area of southern Peru on Sunday without causing damage or casualties, authorities said.

The United States Geological Survey reported the quake took place at 8:43 a.m. local time with its epicenter 18 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of the city of Camaná, in the department of Arequipa. The earthquake struck at a depth of 44.9 kilometers (28 miles).

Peru’s Emergency Operations Center in a statement on social media said local residents perceived the shaking as ranging from “light to moderate.” The agency ruled out tsunami risks and said assessments of vulnerable areas were ongoing.

Peru lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a 40,000-kilometer (25,000-mile) arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific Basin, where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.

In August, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in the Peruvian Andes left two people injured and damaged several homes, health centers and schools, while in July, a 5.5-magnitude quake in the Junín region resulted in six deaths and 30 injuries.

On Friday, a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama, which is also along the Ring of Fire, leaving 27 people injured.