On the afternoon of this Thursday, June 13, The Colombian Geological Service recorded a strong earthquake in Peru, more specifically in the city of Uchiza, in agreement with the entity studying the land in this area. It should be explained that this district is located very close to the Husacarán National Park, a place full of glaciers that surround the mountain range.
It must be taken into account that this is one of the South American countries that are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area that concentrates 75% of the active volcanoes in the world and where 80% of the strongest earthquakes are recorded. The Pacific coasts, The Andean region and the eastern foothills are also areas with high seismicity.
Earthquake in Peru: What was its magnitude?
According to the information recorded by the SGC, It was an earthquake that had a magnitude of 5.0, quite strong, for what is customary in this area. full of tremors, at a depth of 30 kilometers. For their part, national media in this country confirmed that the epicenter was in Aucayacu, Leoncio Prado – Huánuco and the precise magnitude was 5.2. This is according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP).
Experts from this entity had already warned about a dangerous calm that had been taking place in this area of the Pacific Ring of Fire, place that registers more than thousand earthquakes a year. As they had pointed out a few weeks ago, this stillness would only precede a fairly strong and devastating earthquake, like those that They have already occurred throughout history in the region.
Here’s what to do if you’re in a building and an earthquake hits you
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), published these recommendations and what they emphasized most was protecting yourself at all times and staying calm, since it will help you act more safely and in a more appropriate manner.
Once you identify that it is a tremor or earthquake, follow the following tips:
- If you are in an earthquake-resistant building, locate yourself near columns, under a desk or in areas marked as safe, always away from glass or elements that could fall.
- Never use elevators to evacuate, wait for them to finish and use the stairs.
- Do not stand under door frames, as it is not a safe place; the frame helps dissipate the energy of the earthquake, which is why it can break and collapse.
- If you are at home and only if possible, open the main and bedroom doors, as they could get stuck and lock you and your family in.
- If you are lying down and cannot get to a safe place, stay in bed or on your side and protect your head with your arms or a pillow.
Once the earthquake has ended, do the following:
- The first thing you should do is see if you are okay and if you are still in your home and the earthquake was considerably strong, cut off the gas, power and water supplies. If you smell gas, avoid turning on switches or lighting matches, open windows, notify the authorities and go to a safe area.
- If the earthquake has caused the collapse of structures and there are signs of people trapped under the rubble, do not try to rescue them, it may put your life and the lives of other people at risk, wait for the rescuers to do so.
- Finally, stay informed through the radio about the status of your region, damage and instructions issued by the authorities.
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