Scores injured in Peruvian earthquake

A powerful earthquake injured scores of people, buckled buildings and caused power outages in central Peru early Monday, with no immediate reports of fatalities, officials said. The preliminary assessment indicates "119 people injured and 16 houses affected" in the Ica region, according to a Peruvian Institute of Civil Defense report. At least 10 buildings appear to be uninhabitable. The wounded have "minor injuries" and were treated in various hospitals, mostly in urban areas, the Ministry of Health reported. Injury reports from rural areas still were being counted Monday morning. The injuries included broken bones, concussions and cuts caused by falling objects, officials said. None of the injuries is considered life-threatening. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was magnitude was 6.3. The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred at 00:11 am (0511 GMT), was 23 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of the town of Ica, the US Geological Survey said. The depth of the epicenter was 39 kilometers (24 miles). The reading was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released. Some of the worst structural damage was found in slum areas dominated by adobe buildings, where cracks could be seen in walls, according to unconfirmed radio reports. Among the buildings damaged was the Cathedral of Ica, which had been damaged in a 2007 earthquake. The jolt caused the population to quickly leave their homes in Ica, Pisco and the towns of Palpa, Nasca and Canete. Dozens of Ica residents spent the night in parks and gardens because of the risk of aftershocks. The quake also was felt less intensely in the Peruvian capital and a large area of the Midwest, without injury or damage reported. Power and telephone outages were reported in Ica and the surrounding area but electricity was being restored Monday morning. Police were ordered to patrol the damaged areas.. The Ica region was hit hard on August 15, 2007 by an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude. It killed more than 500 people and injured about 200,000. Peru is in the "Pacific Ring of Fire," which is the site of 85 percent of global seismic activity.