A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck the Andes region of central Peru late on Saturday, killing at least six people, injuring more than 30 and forcing around 300 from their homes, authorities announced on Sunday. The US Geological Survey placed the epicentre approximately 2 kilometres west-southwest of the city of Sicaya, in Huancayo province — a highland area roughly 300 kilometres east of the capital, Lima — at a depth of 10 kilometres. The tremor hit at 9:24pm local time, and the number of missing persons remains unknown, according to Peru's National Civil Defence Institute.

Among the most severely affected areas was the agricultural community of Chongos Bajo, where residents were seen huddled under blankets outside damaged homes, unable to return indoors. Animals were also found trapped under rubble. The historic Santiago de León church and former convent in Chongos Bajo — a 16th-century structure built in 1565 and designated a national heritage site — was among the buildings that collapsed or suffered serious structural damage. "My home has been destroyed," said Hermenegilda Guamalato, speaking to a local radio station as she searched for temporary shelter with her three children in a neighbouring district.

Officials pointed to traditional building materials as a key factor in the scale of the destruction. Luis Vásquez, head of the local civil defence office, explained that the widespread use of adobe and quincha — a traditional mud-and-timber construction technique — made structures particularly vulnerable. Forty-eight homes were reported destroyed, and the government mobilised emergency assistance including tents and blankets for displaced families.

Peru sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active belt that runs along the western coast of the Americas and the eastern coast of Asia. The country experiences at least 400 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater each year, of which around 100 are felt by the population. The country's most devastating recent earthquake was a magnitude 7.9 tremor in 2007 that struck Pisco, in the Ica region, killing nearly 600 people.

The disaster drew immediate government response. Peru's president confirmed that humanitarian aid was dispatched and coordination with local authorities was under way to assist affected families. The earthquake serves as a reminder of the persistent vulnerability of rural Andean communities, where traditional construction methods and remote geography can significantly worsen the human toll of seismic events.