Peru declares state of emergency as village wiped out by earthquake

At least eight people were killed by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake that hit rural southern Peru over the weekend, emergency authorities said on Sunday as the search for victims continued. The quake Saturday night in Paruro province, in the Andean region of Cusco, destroyed 15 adobe-style houses and left 75 people homeless, national emergency operations spokesman Carlos Castro told reporters. “Eight people are dead,” Castro said. Worst affected was the remote Andean village of Misca, where 45 homes collapsed killing four children and four adults, emergency workers said.

We are still going through the wreckage. We hope not to find any more bodies.

Carlos Castro

The authorities have declared a 90-day state of emergency and President Ollanta Humala has said his government will help rebuild the village. President Humala said the village, 90% of which was damaged, had been erected on a geological fault line and should be reconstructed elsewhere following a thorough study of the area. Many of the homes in the village were made of adobe, a mixture of mud and straw. Emergency workers have managed to clear the road leading to the village and a plane had been able to land to drop off tents and blankets.

The only thing standing is the school, which was built with cement. Almost everything else is destroyed, including our only church.

Misca resident Alfredo Castilla

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