Earthquake of magnitude 6.3 strikes off southern Peru

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of southern Peru but there was no immediate threat of tsunami, government scientists have said.

On Sunday, the Geophysical Institute of Peru said that the quake was centred in the Pacific at a depth of 25 kilometres (16 miles) off the coast of Arequipa department.

The government decided against activating the tsunami warning system.

The US Geological Survey put the magnitude 6.0 and said the epicentre of the quake was 19.9 kilometres deep.

Peru lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast area of seismic activity that runs along the west coast of South America.

Peru is hit by at least 400 detectable quakes every year.