Lima – An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude jolted the Peruvian Capital of Lima on Sunday. According to India's National Center for Seismology, the earthquake struck the Latin American nation on Sunday morning and had a depth of 620 kilometres. The quakes were majorly felt in the northeastern part of the national capital. 

“Earthquake of Magnitude:6.3, Occurred on 28-01-2024, 15:08:56 IST, Lat: -8.27 & Long: -71.51, Depth: 620 Km, Location: 736km NE of Lima, Peru,” the National Center for Seismology wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. The last earthquake that stuck the nation was in December last year when an earthquake of magnitude 6 struck southern Peru. At that time the earthquake was recorded at a depth of 80 km (50 miles). 

Lima's infrastructure issues

The last time Peru's national capital was rocked by a major earthquake was in 1746 which eventually led to a tsunami and the whole catastrophe killed an estimated one-tenth of the city’s population at that time. Due to Lima's infrastructural issues, seismology experts warned in 2014 that over 30,000 would die if a large earthquake struck the capital. “No city is prepared to deal with an earthquake of this nature,” Lima's then-mayor Luis Castañeda said at that time. “Lima is not prepared, really, because of the risky circumstances our people live in," he added. Sandy soil, the presence of groundwater and homes built on unsustainable inclines are touted as some of the major reasons why Lima's districts like Chorrillos, La Molina, San Juan de Lurigancho, Ventanilla and Villa El Salvador are touted as risky zones by experts. “Because of a lack of housing, people opt to expand their homes with light materials or increase the number of floors without authorization or due diligence,” Humberto Martinez, the then-director of Peru’s construction industry association CAPECO said in 2015.