SEISMIC ALERT:  CENTRAL PERU  15 AUGUST 2007  23:40 UTC  7.9 MW

Further information can be found at the following link

http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/recent_events/world_special/peru_15_aug
_2007.pdf


UPDATE

Hundreds killed in Peru Earthquake=20

A state of emergency has been declared in the coastal town of Ica, which
appears to be the worst affected area. Latest reports suggest that at
least 330 people have been killed in Ica, where buildings were destroyed
and power supplies have been cut. The earthquake was felt strongly in
the capital Lima, where buildings shook and people ran onto the street.=20

Seismologist Dr Roger Musson of the British Geological Survey said:

"This earthquake is on an adjacent section of the plate boundary to the
earthquake of 23 June 2001, magnitude 8.4 Mw, which killed around 150
people. This earthquake fills a seismic gap between Peru and Chile,
which was last active in 1877, to this extent a great earthquake in this
location was expected at some point".

Last night's earthquake locates approximately 550 km south of a
magnitude 7.9 Mw earthquake, on 31 May 1970, which killed around 50,000
people.


*****************************************************
Davie Galloway
Earthquake, Forensic Seismology and Geomagnetism
British Geological Survey
Murchison House
West Mains Road
Edinburgh EH9 3LA, UK

Tel: +44-(0)131-650-0273 (direct)
Tel: +44-(0)131-667-1000 (switchboard)
Tel: +44-(0)7801-792-085 (mobile)
Fax: +44-(0)131-667-1877
mailto:d.galloway@bgs.ac.uk
http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/

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