SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS CONTINUE AFTER PERU EARTHQUAKE

Search and rescue operations continued in Peru's Junín region following a 5.1 magnitude earthquake that struck on Saturday at 21:21 local time. The epicentre was located in the Chongos Bajo district of Chupaca province, approximately 200 miles east of Lima. The Peruvian National Police reported conducting active search, rescue, emergency response and security operations in the mountainous central Andean highlands.

Government figures recorded five deaths, 21 injuries and more than 300 people affected by the earthquake. More than 250 personnel from Peru's emergency services, including K-9 and medical units and other specialised teams, deployed to the rugged terrain. The national volunteer firefighting corps were also dispatched to aid the National Police in debris removal, evacuations and pre-hospital care in the hardest-hit areas, according to the interior ministry.

Peru's health ministry sent a specialist brigade to provide medical care to those affected, joining teams already present in the region. President-elect Keiko Fujimori issued a statement expressing condolences to families of those who had died and solidarity with the affected population. The health ministry stated it would continue to mobilise human, logistical and medical resources to safeguard the lives and health of those affected.