Peru President Pedro Kuchinsky is ready to declare the state of emergency in the areas hit by a major earthquake, Peruvian head of the Council of Ministers, Mercedes Araoz said on Sunday, RIA Novosti reported. 

According to Ministry of Defense, one person was killed as a result of tremors, 61 were injured and 736 people’s property were damaged. Thirty three schools were affected and one destroyed in the regions of Arequipa, Ica and Ayacucho.

A strong magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Caravelí Province  in the Arequipa Region. The hypocenter of this tremor was 10km beneath the surface.