Peru earthquake damages buildings and causes power cuts - BBC News

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the Ayacucho region on Thursday, the US Geological Survey says.

Image source, ReutersImage caption, Dust filled the air in Pausa, Peru, about 46 miles (74km) from the earthquake's epicentre

At least three people have been injured and buildings have been damaged after an earthquake struck Peru, local officials have said.

The earthquake, which occurred near the small settlement of Aniso in the southern Ayacucho region on Thursday, had a magnitude of 6.7, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Peru's defence minister Rafael Belaunde said 22 homes and six schools were damaged, local media report.

Earthquakes are common in Peru, which sits along the meeting point of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, and Thursday's was the latest strong seismic event to hit South America in recent months, following deadly quakes in Colombia and Venezuela.