5.1-magnitude earthquake kills five in Peru

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake in the Andes region of Peru killed five people, officials said Sunday.

The Saturday night tremor injured another 21 people as it shook the town of Chongos Bajo about 300 kilometers (180 miles) east of Lima, the Geophysics Institute of Peru said.

The epicenter's depth was 24 km (15 miles).

"The earthquake destroyed our home. Here there are many adobe houses that collapsed," an unnamed resident of Chongos Bajo told the N television network.

Because the epicenter was at a shallow depth and many houses in that area are made of adobe or a wood, cane and mud blend called "quincha," some towns suffered significant damage, said General Luis Vasquez, the director of the National Civil Defense Institute.

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"Forty-eight houses were destroyed and 300 people were left homeless," he said.

Peru is situated on the so-called Pacific ring of fire -- an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Seismologists say Peru experiences at least 400 earthquakes per year, three quarters of which are so weak people do not feel them.