2026 Huancayo earthquake

2026 Huancayo earthquake
2026 Huancayo earthquake is located in Peru
2026 Huancayo earthquake
Location within Peru
UTC time
  • 2026-07-19 02:24:36
ISC event
USGS-ANSS
Local date
  • 18 July 2026
Local time
Magnitude
Depth
  • 10 km (6.2 mi)
Epicenter12°06′14″S 75°18′11″W / 12.104°S 75.303°W / -12.104; -75.303
Areas affectedJunín and Huancavelica departments, Peru
Max. intensityMMI VII (Very strong)
Aftershocks12+, largest Mww 5.3
Casualties6 dead, 200 injured (mainshock)
15 injured (6 August aftershock)
1 dead, 4 injured (7 August aftershock)

A Mw 5.5 earthquake struck the department of Junín, Peru, on 18 July 2026, at 21:24:36 PET.[1] Its epicenter was located near the city of Huancayo, and caused severe damage in the epicentral area, including the collapse of hundreds of homes. At least six people were killed and 200 were injured. Fifteen people were injured as a result of a Mww 5.0-5.3 aftershock on 6 August, and in 7 August, another person died and four others were injured as a result of another aftershock with a magnitude of 4.4-4.7.

Tectonic setting

Earthquakes in Peru are mainly concentrated at the subduction zone where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath the South American Plate at the Peru–Chile Trench off its west coast. Another zone of seismicity is recorded within the South American Plate in the Andes region. In the high Andes, shallow earthquakes are the result of normal-faulting such as the 1946 Ancash earthquake which ruptured a shallow-dipping fault oriented parallel to the range. The western margin of the Cordillera Blanca in central Peru exhibits normal-faulting and coincides with extensional tectonics acting perpendicular to the range.[2]

While normal-faulting is the dominant mechanism, parts of the western sub-Andes experience thrust tectonics. This zone is located between the high Andes and Amazonian Craton and is characterised by active fold and thrusting since the Pliocene. The occurrence of northwest-trending, west-dipping thrust faults in the belt suggest the Amazonian craton is being thrusted beneath the Cordillera Oriental. A possible cause of these earthquakes is intraplate deformation in response to subduction of the Nazca Plate. Most thrust earthquakes in the region occur on steep-angled fault planes ranging from 30 to 60° at depths of 10 to 38 km (6.2 to 23.6 mi), corresponding to the lower crust and upper mantle.[3]

Earthquake

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude and depth at Mww 5.5 and 10 km (6.2 mi), respectively. Its epicenter was located 2 km (1.2 mi) west-southwest of the town of Sicaya in the eponymous district, or 10 km (6.2 mi) west-northwest of Huancayo. The Modified Mercalli intensity was estimated to have been VII (Very strong) in Chupaca and Huancayo, VI (Strong) in Concepción, and III (Weak) in Lima.[1] The Geophysical Institute of Peru however reported that the quake was located 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Chupaca, had a magnitude of 5.4, and occurred at a depth of 9 km (5.6 mi). According to the IGP, the quake reached a maximum intensity of IV-V in Chupaca.[4] As of July 19, a total of 12 aftershocks have been detected, the largest of them had a magnitude of 3.7.[5]

On August 6, nearly three weeks after the mainshock, a magnitude 5.0 quake struck 19 km (12 mi) southwest of Chupaca. The IGP identified it as an aftershock of the July 18 quake.[6] The USGS however reported its magnitude as Mww 5.3 and located 7 km (4.3 mi) south southwest of Huayucachi.[7]

Impact

At least six people were killed and 200 others were injured. At least 471 houses were destroyed and 4,889 others were damaged, displacing 6,384 residents and affecting 5,797 more. Fifty-four schools, 18 health establishments, and 1,016 m (3,333 ft) of roads were also affected. 3,302 livestock were lost. Four fatalities and 23 injuries were reported in Chongos Bajo, Chupaca province. One person died in Huacrapuquio District, Huancayo Province, while another person died and 128 others were injured in Chupuro District in the same province. Forty-one people were injured in Chongos Alto District and eight in Huasicancha District.[8][9] Most of the houses that were damaged or destroyed were made of adobe and quincha.[10] A religious monument named the Señor de Cani Cruz also collapsed in the district.[11] Houses also collapsed in Chupuro, Huacrapuquio and Tres de Diciembre Districts.[12] Collapsing houses also trapped people in Pucará District, while minor building damage, such as broken windows and cracked tiles, was reported in the city of Huancayo.[13] The districts of Sapallanga, Chilca, Cullhuas, Acostambo, Pazos and Huaribamba in Junín and Huancavelica departments also reported damage and power outages.[9]

On 22 July, rockfalls occurred following a magnitude 3.6 aftershock that struck 17 km (11 mi) south of Chupaca.[14] At least 40 homes collapsed or were uninhabitable as a result of the series of aftershocks measuring 3.0 to 3.6.[15] In August 6, a magnitude 5.0 aftershock injured 15 people, mainly due to rockfalls that hit vehicles and the collapse of adobe walls near the epicenter and damaged or destroyed more than 125 homes.[16][17][18] Another aftershock the day after with a magnitude of 4.4 caused the death of the driver of a Mitsubishi L200 after a rockfall struck the vehicle in Chupuro District, and the injury of four others.[19][20]

Response

President-elect Keiko Fujimori extended her condolences to the families of the deceased and expressed her solidarity with those affected by the disaster.[21] Following the earthquake, the Peruvian government launched emergency response operations across the affected areas of Junín Department. Prime Minister Luis Arroyo Sánchez, Defense Minister Amadeo Flores Carcagno, and INDECI chief Luis Enrique Vásquez Guerrero visited Chongos Bajo to assess the damage and coordinate relief efforts with regional and local officials. The Peruvian Army was also deployed to assist with search and rescue operations, debris removal, public security, and humanitarian assistance, while health authorities established three temporary medical posts in Pumpunya to provide care for affected residents. The Regional Government of Junín also set up a temporary shelter and distributed emergency supplies, including blankets, tents, beds, and mattresses. Additionally, the government announced plans to declare a state of emergency following INDECI's damage assessment and dispatched humanitarian aid from Lima to support communities impacted by the earthquake.[22] On 20 July, humanitarian groups commenced the distribution of over 11 tonnes of emergency supplies to the areas most affected by the quake. The delivery contained 800 emergency aid packages with food, bottled water, hygiene products, and blankets. In Huancayo, volunteers came together to put the kits together, while the Peruvian Army and National Police helped to deliver the assistance to the affected communities.[23]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 ANSS. "M 5.5 - 4 km SSW of Chupaca, Peru 2026". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
  2. ↑ Dorbath, L.; Dorbath, C.; Jimenez, E.; Rivera, L. (1991). "Seismicity and tectonic deformation in the Eastern Cordillera and the sub-Andean zone of central Peru" (PDF). Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 4 (1–2): 13-24. doi:10.1016/0895-9811(91)90015-D. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  3. ↑ Suárez, Gerardo; Molnar, Peter; Burchfiel, B. Clark (1983). "Seismicity, fault plane solutions, depth of faulting, and active tectonics of the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, and southern Colombia" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 88 (B12): 10403–10428. doi:10.1029/JB088iB12p10403. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2026-01-06. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  4. ↑ "Reporte sísmico IGP/CENSIS/RS 2026-0468 | Centro Sismológico Nacional". Geophysical Institute of Peru (in Spanish). July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  5. ↑ "La sierra peruana sigue temblando: IGP reporta más de diez réplicas tras el destructivo sismo de 5.1 en Junín". Infobae (in Spanish). July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Presidente del IGP: sismo de magnitud 5.0 en Junín es réplica del movimiento sísmico ocurrido en julio" (in Spanish). Radio Programas del Perú. August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  7. ↑ ANSS. "M 5.3 - 7 km SSW of Huayucachi, Peru 2026". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
  8. ↑ REPORTE COMPLEMENTARIO N.° 10196 – 8/8/2026 /COEN-INDECI / 02:00 HORAS (Reporte N.° 58) SISMO DE MAGNITUD 5.4 CON EPICENTRO EN EL DISTRITO DE CHONGOS BAJO – JUNÍN (PDF). INDECI (Report) (in Spanish). 8 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Junín: Sismo de magnitud 5.1 deja seis fallecidos, 32 heridos y más de 300 damnificados" (in Spanish). El Comercio. July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Velan restos de fallecidos durante sismo de 5.1 en la Plaza de Pumpunya: deudos piden ayuda". Infobae. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Chupaca: confirman dos muertos en Pumpunya tras los sismos que remecieron Junín". Huanca York Times (in Spanish). July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Junín: Un muerto, heridos y casas derrumbadas en anexo de Punpunya tras sismo de 5.1 de magnitud". Diario Correo (in Spanish). July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Junín: sismo de magnitud 5.1 deja viviendas colapsadas y moviliza equipos de emergencia en Chupaca" (in Spanish). Radio Programas del Perú. July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Nuevo sismo hoy en Junín causa terror y pánico en Chupaca: "Vimos caer piedras del cerro, tenemos miedo"" (in Spanish). Infobae. July 22, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  15. ↑ "CHONGOS ALTO SUFRE DAÑOS GRAVES POR RÉPLICAS SÍSMICAS CONSTANTES EN CHUPACA, REGIÓN JUNÍN" (in Spanish). Diario Primicia Macro Regional. July 24, 2026. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Suben a siete los heridos por sismo de 5.0 en Junín tras caída de rocas y colapso de viviendas" (in Spanish). Huanca York Times. 2026-08-06. Retrieved 2026-08-06.
  17. ↑ "Junín: doce personas lesionadas tras sismo de magnitud 5.0 en la región" (in Spanish). Radio Programas del Perú. 2026-08-06. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
  18. ↑ "Junín: balance del sismo sigue creciendo con más de 125 viviendas destruidas o inhabitables, 15 heridos y establecimientos de salud fuera de servicio" (in Spanish). Inforegion.pe. 2026-08-06. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
  19. ↑ "Tras réplica de 4.4, roca cae de un cerro y mata al conductor de una camioneta en Socos, Chupuro" (in Spanish). Huanca York Times. 2026-08-07. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  20. ↑ "Un fallecido y cuatro heridos tras desprendimiento de rocas por un terremoto en Perú" (in Spanish). Swissinfo. 2026-08-07. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  21. ↑ "Keiko Fujimori expresa condolencias y solidaridad con afectados por sismo en Junín" (in Spanish). El Peruano. July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Sismo en Junín: ministro de Defensa articula en la zona de emergencia la respuesta del Estado" (in Spanish). Radio Nacional del Perú. July 19, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Sismo en Junín: envían más de 11 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria a zonas afectadas" (in Spanish). El Comercio. July 20, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
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