Peru rehearses its response to a magnitude 8.8 quake off Lima and Callao

Peru conducted its second national multi-hazard drill of the year on Friday, simulating a potential magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the central coast of Lima and Callao. The drill, conducted at 3pm local time, involved sirens, horns, and alerts through the Peruvian Seismic Alert System and SMS messages. Thousands of participants evacuated from homes, workplaces, and schools to designated safe zones.

President Keiko Fujimori led the evacuation in Lima's Plaza de Armas, joined by the Prime Minister, the capital's mayor, and the National Civil Defense Institute's head. The exercise consisted of three stages: alert activation, movement to internal safe zones, and evacuation to outdoor areas, followed by guidance from emergency volunteers.

Scenarios varied regionally: coastal areas faced earthquakes and tsunamis, highland zones encountered landslides and mudflows, and jungle areas experienced heavy rainfall and river flooding. President of Peru's Geophysical Institute Hernando Tavera reported that an earthquake above magnitude 8 in Lima could result in 8,181 deaths and 139,434 injuries.

In the coastal district of La Punta, residents practiced moving to vertical safe zones. The drill commemorated the 19th anniversary of the 2007 magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Ica, which caused widespread damage and loss of life. Peru, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to seismic activity, with July's magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia claiming over 265 lives.

The National Civil Defense Institute emphasized the importance of households maintaining emergency kits with non-perishable food, a first aid kit, warm clothing, hygiene items, cash, and supplies for infants or elderly individuals.