Strong earthquake hits Peru's central coastline

Peru's central coastline has been hit by an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says. The tremor hit just after midnight (05:00 GMT) with its epicentre some 15km (nine miles) south-east of the city of Ica, which suffered extensive earthquake damage in 2007. Monday's quake struck at a depth of 39km (24 miles), the USGS said. Peruvian media report that more than a dozen people have been injured. "The majority are suffering trauma and cuts," Fernando Leon Castaneda, manager of a local hospital, told Radio Programas del Peru. Reports from Ica said electricity supplies had gone off but so far there are no reports of major damage. The province of Ica was struck by a 7.9-magnitude undersea earthquake in 2007 that left thousands homeless.