At least six people were killed, over 30 others injured, and nearly 300 displaced after a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Peru's Andean region.

According to the Associated Press, the quake hit at 9:24 PM local time on Saturday (July 18). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the epicenter was located approximately 2 kilometers west-southwest of the city of Sicaya in Huancayo Province, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.

Peru's National Civil Defense Institute stated that the exact number of missing persons remains unconfirmed. The tremor caused numerous buildings to collapse or suffer severe damage, including a local church and a convent.

Local civil defense official Luis Vasquez noted that the heavy damage was largely driven by the prevalence of traditional adobe brick houses built throughout the mountainous terrain.

Images broadcasted by local media showed many residents taking shelter under blankets outside their damaged homes in Chongo Bajo, one of the hardest-hit agricultural areas. Farm animals were also reported trapped beneath the rubble.

"My house is completely destroyed," said Hermenegilda Guamalato, a mother of three. "Now I am trying to find shelter with my children in the neighboring Huayucachi district."

Peru experiences frequent seismic activity due to its location along the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire." Previously, a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Pisco province in Peru's Ica region in 2007, resulting in nearly 600 deaths.