Peru’s government officially declared a 60-day state of emergency in five districts of the Junin region this Monday, as authorities reported two new magnitude 3.4 earthquakes in Chupaca province.

The Peruvian government enacted a 60-day emergency decree across five districts as two new magnitude 3.4 aftershocks struck Chupaca province, while relief operations deliver 7.74 tons of food aid to 250 families following the Saturday tremor that killed five people and destroyed 76 homes.

The National Emergency Operations Center (COEN, in Spanish) confirmed that no new casualties or material damages have been reported from these aftershocks. However, the continued seismic activity has heightened anxiety among residents already traumatized by Saturday’s main event.

RELATED: At Least 6 Dead and Dozens Injured After Earthquake of Magnitude 5.1 in Central Peru

That main quake -a 5.1 magnitude tremor that struck at 9:24 P.M. local time on Saturday with an epicenter seven kilometers south of Chongos Bajo and a depth of 24 kilometers- unleashed the most severe damage. A 3.7 magnitude aftershock followed just 17 minutes later, compounding the destruction. The five victims -three men and two women, including two elderly adults and a 17-year-old- all died in the district of Chongos Bajo, the epicenter’s closest populated area.

Official infrastructure reports from the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci, in Spanish) indicate that the earthquake affected the districts of Chongos Bajo, San Juan de Iscos, Ahuac, Huancayo, Chupuro, Huayucachi, Viques and Huacrapuquio.

The latest balance confirms 76 homes completely destroyed, 95 rendered uninhabitable and 74 partially affected. The damage is concentrated most heavily in Chupaca province, where entire blocks of traditional adobe homes collapsed under the force of the tremor.

#IMPORTANTE| El Ejecutivo dispuso el Estado de Emergencia en cinco distritos de las provincias de Chupaca y Huancayo, en Junín, tras los daños ocasionados por el sismo de magnitud 5.1, para agilizar la respuesta y atención a la población afectada. https://t.co/85YvfPk5Po

— Mindef Perú (@MindefPeru) July 20, 2026

Text reads: “The Executive Power decreed the state of emergency in five districts of the provinces of Chupaca and Huancayo, in Junin, after the damage caused by the earthquake of magnitude 5.1, to speed up the response and care for the affected population.”

Emergency Response Underway

In response to the crisis, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers formalized the state of emergency declaration for the districts of Chongos Bajo and San Juan de Iscos in Chupaca province, and Chupuro, Viques and Huacrapuquio in Huancayo province. The 60-day decree, effective immediately from July 20, authorizes exceptional measures including accelerated reconstruction works, expedited procurement of emergency supplies and mobilization of military engineering units for debris clearance.

National Institute of Civil Defense has dispatched 7.74 tons of humanitarian aid -primarily food supplies – to Junin, sufficient to sustain 1,250 affected people (approximately 250 families) for 10 days. The agency maintains permanent monitoring and coordination with regional authorities for ongoing damage assessment. A second phase of aid distribution is expected to include temporary shelter materials, water purification tablets and medical supplies for the injured.

Regional authorities in Junin and district municipalities will execute the emergency actions, relief operations and immediate recovery efforts under Indeci’s technical coordination. These bodies are responsible for implementing evacuation plans where necessary and consolidating the official registry of affected families -a critical task for ensuring that aid reaches those most in need rather than being lost to logistical confusion.

The National Police of Peru has been deployed to provide public security and support rescue operations in affected areas. Looting concerns have emerged in some damaged neighborhoods, prompting authorities to establish curfews in the worst-hit sectors of Chongos Bajo. Reports from the Ministry of Health indicate that field hospitals have been set up in Huancayo to treat the 32 injured, four of whom remain in serious condition.

Beyond the human toll, the earthquake inflicted significant damage on public infrastructure. Preliminary assessments confirm damage to four educational institutions, three health facilities, two religious temples, two cultural heritage sites and one kilometer of roadway. The destruction of the road network in the mountainous terrain has complicated relief efforts, as landslides triggered by the tremors have cut off access to several remote communities.

Peru sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the most seismically active zones on the planet. The country experiences hundreds of detectable earthquakes each year, though events of magnitude 5.0 or higher in populated areas remain relatively rare. The Junin region, located in the central highlands approximately 200 kilometers east of Lima, is particularly vulnerable due to its mountainous terrain and the prevalence of traditional adobe construction, which performs poorly under seismic stress.

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