An earthquake measuring 6.9 degrees on the Richter scale occurred today at 12:46 pm, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and reported by El Comercio.

Hernando Tavera, director of Peru’s Geographical Institute (IGP), said the epicenter was located 44 kilometers southeast of Contamana, capital of Ucayali.

The earthquake was felt in Lima, where some telephone communications were interrupted. Reports from social networks indicate that the tremor was also felt in Ecuador and Brazil.

According to Andina news group, there have been no reports of injuries or stuctural damage.

According to the USGS the epicenter occured at a depth of 145.1 km (90.2 miles).

"The earthquake has been felt in almost all of central Peru, because it occurred at great depth," said Tavera to Andina news agency.

In Lima, the event was felt with an intensity level between II and III on the Modified Mercalli scale, he added.

The quake was also felt in jungle cities like Iquitos (Loreto), Pucallpa (Ucayali), and Moyobamba Tarapoto (San Martín), which reported some power outages.

Many people in the cities of Huancayo (Junin), Ica, Trujillo (La Libertad) and Jaén (Cajamarca), chose to take to the streets as a precaution.

Loreto is the largest department of Peru and has a population of 891.732 inhabitants, according to the National Statistics Institute (INEI).
 

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