A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Peru's Andes region late Saturday, killing at least five people and displacing hundreds of residents.
The tremor hit shortly after 9:20 p.m. near the city of Sicaya in central Peru, with its epicenter in a densely populated highland area.
More than 20 people were injured, and at least 300 residents were forced from their homes after multiple structures collapsed or were deemed unsafe.
Among the damaged buildings were a local church and convent, where rescue teams continued searching for missing individuals through Sunday.
Officials said the region's widespread use of traditional adobe construction likely intensified the destruction. The head of the local civil defense office stated that the rustic building materials contributed to the greater impact and damage.
In the farming community of Chongo Bajo, families wrapped in blankets gathered outside damaged homes as neighbors searched through rubble. Animals were also trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
One resident displaced to the neighboring province of Huayucachi described her home as destroyed as she sought shelter with her three children.
Peru lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world's most seismically active zones. A magnitude 7.9 earthquake in 2007 killed nearly 600 people in the coastal province of Pisco.
