ACARI, Peru, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- A magnitude-7 earthquake that hit Peru Wednesday killed at least three people and caused substantial damage, authorities said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred about 11:43 a.m. local time at a depth of about 25 miles.
The temblor's epicenter was 31 miles south of Acari, 59 miles southeast of Minas de Marcona, 76 miles south-southeast of Nazca, 85 miles south-southwest of Puquio and 312 miles south-southeast of Lima.
The Peruvian newspaper El Comercio reported a civil defense official confirmed the quake caused a mine shaft in Caraveli province in the Arequipa region to collapse, killing three miners and injuring a dozen others.
"The earthquake felt much more intense than the '96 Nazca quake. It was hard to walk during the long duration of the earthquake," Carmen Bedoya of Acari told El Comercio. "The glass windows in many of the houses have broken, and schools have suffered material damages. Students have been evacuated to their homes, but there are still no reports of people being wounded."
She said power was out and several streets were blocked.
Atiquipa Mayor Francisco Palomino told the Peruvian news channel Canal N his community had been hit hard.
"For my village, this has been a true earthquake," Palomino said. "Seventy percent of [the] homes are uninhabitable now."
Schools, clinics, a church and the town hall sustained damage.
Peru This Week reported the shaking was felt along the South American country's southern coast and the Ubinas volcano in the country's south was seen spewing ash.
