7.3-magnitude earthquake hits near Peru

Lima [Peru]: An earthquake of 7.3 magnitude struck off Peru's coast on Sunday."Prelim M7.3 earthquake near the coast of southern Peru Jan-14 09:18 UTC," tweeted USGS Big Quakes.

Prelim M7.3 earthquake near the coast of southern Peru Jan-14 09:18 UTC, updates https://t.co/akiSg41Zo4

— USGS Big Quakes (@USGSBigQuakes) January 14, 2018
The quake hit 31km south-southwest of Acari, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Several media reports state that a tsunami warning is in place near the epicentre of the quake.

Peru is located in the Ring of Fire, which is an area in the Pacific Ocean vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, tsunami waves are possible within 300 km of the epicentre along the coast of Peru.