Magnitude 6.9 quake rattles Peru’s southern coast

LIMA, (Reuters) – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck  off the coast of southern Peru today, shaking buildings in  Lima and injuring 16 people near the city of Ica.
Officials said there were no deaths or major damages,  though at least two adobe brick homes were knocked down.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, initially  reported to have a magnitude of 7, was centered under the sea  31 miles (50 km) southwest of Ica, near where a devastating  magnitude 8 quake killed more than 500 people in 2007.
Officials at two local hospitals said they had treated 16  patients for bruises and fractures caused by falling  debris.
RPP radio reported that people in cities along the southern  coast ran out of their homes and into the streets during the  shaking.
Damages appeared to be limited to a loss of cellphone  signals, isolated electricity outages in Ica, and a secondary  road that was blocked by debris.
Buildings shook in the capital of Lima, about 185 miles  (300 km) north of Ica, but business quickly returned to normal  and no tsunami warnings were issued for the Pacific coast.
Shougang Hierro Peru, an iron ore producer that runs the  mine closest to the epicenter, said it suffered no damages from  the quake.
Southern Copper, a major global mining company, said it was  operating normally. Most other major mines in Peru, a leading  global metals exporter, are located farther away from the quake  zone.