LIMA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 on the Richter scale shook the Peruvian region of Puno on Thursday morning, with no report of casualties or material damage so far, the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) confirmed.
The quake was registered at 7:02 a.m. local time, with its epicenter 20 km northeast of the town of Ayaviri in Melgar province and a depth of 240 km.
The quake was felt strongly in the districts of Ayaviri, Asillo and Azangaro in Melgar province, and moderately in Orurillo, Pucara, Tirapita and San Jose, the National Emergency Operations Center said.
IGP President Hernando Tavera said that in spite of the quake's magnitude, "we have no information of damages," although it alarmed the population in a region that borders Bolivia.
Meanwhile, the Peruvian Presidency has called on the population to remain calm in the face of possible aftershocks on its Twitter account, as the government is coordinating the evaluation of possible casualties or material damage.
Peru is located in the area called the Pacific Ring of Fire, where about 85 percent of the world's seismic activity is recorded. ■
