Peru Earthquake Kills More Than 300, Injures Thousands

The last time a quake of magnitude 7.0 or larger struck Peru was in 2005 when a 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked Peru's northern jungle, killing four people.

Image: USGS

(LIMA, Peru) - An earthquake off the coast of central Peru Wednesday evening with a registered magnitude 7.5 on the Richter Scale, has devastated several Peruvian cities killing at least 337 people in toppled buildings.

A 6.0 aftershock struck at 6:35 AM 35 miles southwest of Ica, Peru.

As many as 1,000 people were injured and tens of thousands of panicked residents flocked onto the streets fearing aftershocks ABC News reported.

The towns of Pisco, Chincha in Peru's southern coastal region are said to be in ruins.

In the coastal city of Ica, the Senor de Luren church collapsed during a service, killing at least four worshippers and injuring dozens according to cable news station Canal N.

Complicating matters are power outages in Lima, Peru's capital, according to Reuters.

Residents in Peru say local reports are advising them to be braced for possible aftershocks.

An Associated Press photographer said that some homes had collapsed in the center of Lima and that many people had fled into the streets for safety. The capital shook for more than a minute.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday's earthquake hit at 6:40 PM about 90 miles southeast of Lima at a depth of about 25 miles.

Four strong aftershocks ranging from magnitudes of 5.4 to 5.9 were felt afterward.