Earthquake in Peru: At Least Five Dead and Over 20 Injured in the Andean District of Chongos Bajo

Epicenter and Extent

Chongos Bajo is located in the Junín region in the central Peruvian Andes, about 300 kilometers east of Lima. The province of Chupaca is a predominantly agricultural Andean area, in which smaller settlements are often scattered in lower valley locations.

Peru is one of the most seismically active countries in South America. At least 400 earthquakes are recorded in the Andean nation each year; most, however, are so weak that they are not felt by the population. The current quake is part of a long series of sometimes devastating tremors.

Peru as Earthquake Country

Just around three and a half weeks earlier, Venezuela, also located in South America, had been struck by two major earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. The number of confirmed deaths there has now risen to more than 5,100; the death toll is expected to climb significantly further, according to authorities.

Severe Quakes in Venezuela as Context

The authorities in Peru announced that they would continue to verify the exact magnitude, the number of victims, and possible damage to infrastructure and residential buildings in the coming hours and days. Residents were urged not to enter damaged buildings for the time being and to prepare for possible aftershocks.

Reactions and Relief Operations

According to local media, the IGP and the civil defense agency INDECI are coordinating operations in the region. Aid organizations were assessing the need for medical care, drinking water, and emergency shelters in the remote Andean villages on Sunday morning (local time).

International reactions to the earthquake in Peru had not yet been received at the time of the report. The news was broadcast on July 19, 2026 on the program Deutschlandfunk.