Off-Shore Earthquake Rattles Peru

Magnitude 7.0

An offshore earthquake with a reported magnitude of 7.0 shook much of Peru on Wednesday. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake centered off a sparsely populated area of the country's southwestern coast.

The quake was felt mildly in Lima, 310 miles (500 kilometers) away and caused swaying in Arequipa, about 170 miles away (300 kilometers). A tsunami warning was not issued.

"Most people felt it, not everyone," said Jose Vasquez, deputy director of civil defense in Arequipa. "It lasted a little bit. It wasn't a big shake, just a release, like the movement of a hammock."