A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook Peru on Sunday morning, killing two people. The health minister said 17 people were missing after a mine collapsed in the wake of the quake.
The quake occurred at 4:18 am local time (09:18 GMT) at a depth of about 36 km, according to the US Geological Survey. The Peruvian Civil Defense Institute on Twitter also reported 65 people were injured.
The Peruvian Health Minister said an unofficial mine east of the coastal city of Chala collapsed in the wake of the quake and later lost 17 people.
Several houses were also damaged and the number of victims and injured is expected to rise, said George Chavez, director of the Peruvian Civil Defense Institute.
Peru, the world’s No. 2 copper producer, puts most of its mines inland within the country away from the coastal region where earthquakes usually occur.
Residents felt the quake in northern Chile, neighbor of southern Peru. Chile’s emergency office said there were no reports of injuries, damage to infrastructure or disruption of basic services.
