Tsunami warning and fears of 10ft waves after powerful earthquake in Peru

A tsunami alert was issued after a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake stuck off the coast of Peru.

The huge tremor happened out to sea around five miles from the Atiquipa district in the south west of the South American country.

There were fears of 10ft waves hitting some coastal areas after the warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC).

Experts have since downgraded the alert but are still expecting huge waves to crash into coastal areas, around 600 miles south of the capital of Lima.

Affected towns were badly shaken and property has suffered significant damage in the Yauca district, around 19 miles north of Atiquipa.

Seismologists recorded the quake at around 6.36am UK time (12.36am local time).

The quake was also felt as far as the capital with video footage shared on social media showing lamps swaying inside houses in Lima.

‘Hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts,’ the PTWC said earlier, and added that waves could reach ‘one to three metres’.

The US national tsunami warning centre said the threat from the sea is no longer as serious as initially feared.

The Presidency of Peru said on X: ‘Given the earthquake that occurred today in Yauca, Caravelí – Arequipa, from the executive, together with @indeciperu and the responsible ministries, we are carrying out the corresponding monitoring to evaluate the damage and determine the actions to be taken.’

No deaths have been recorded following the quake, said prime minister Gustavo Adrianzen.

He told Radio RPP: ‘We are just finishing analysing the preliminary reports which tell us that there are no deaths, and we are monitoring the impact on infrastructures.’

Earlier this month, scientists warned the US is at risk of a devastating earthquake and tsunami due to an ‘underwater fault’ along its west coast.

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