EuroWire, MANCORA: A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck near the northern Peruvian coastal resort of Mancora late Tuesday night, according to Peru’s Geophysical Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremor was recorded at 11:14 p.m. local time on March 3, authorities said. Local civil defense officials reported no injuries or damage in initial checks. Officials said the shaking was felt in parts of Peru’s Piura and Tumbes regions, and the epicenter was on land in the country’s far north near the Ecuador border.
Peru’s Geophysical Institute said the event, catalogued as report 2026-0113, had a reference location about 20 kilometers east of Mancora in Talara province, Piura, at a depth of 17 kilometers. The institute listed the coordinates at 4.12 degrees south latitude and 80.87 degrees west longitude. Shaking reached intensity III on the Modified Mercalli scale in Mancora, a level typically described as weak but noticeable, especially indoors.
The U.S. Geological Survey, which uses a different monitoring network, also measured the quake at magnitude 4.5, placing it about 18 kilometers north-northeast of Mancora and estimating the depth at 35 kilometers. The agency logged the origin time as 04:14:24 UTC on March 4, corresponding to 11:14 p.m. on March 3 in Peru. Differences in estimated depth and location can occur between agencies because of varying sensor coverage and analytical methods.
Seismic bulletin and local checks
Peru’s National Emergency Operations Center, part of the National Civil Defense Institute, issued a national seismic information bulletin listing the epicenter in the district of Canoas de Punta Sal in Contralmirante Villar province, Tumbes, while repeating the Geophysical Institute’s magnitude, depth, and intensity assessment. The bulletin, distributed to national, regional, and local authorities, included standard safety guidance used after earthquake reports to support situational awareness and public messaging.
Civil defense offices in Talara and Canoas de Punta Sal reported no personal injuries or material damage in the immediate aftermath, according to official updates cited by Peruvian authorities. Officials continued monitoring for any reports from communities closest to the epicenter and for potential impacts on infrastructure in the affected coastal area, where tourism and fishing are major local activities.
No tsunami warning
Peru’s Navy, through its Hydrography and Navigation Directorate and the National Tsunami Warning Center, said the earthquake did not generate a tsunami for the Peruvian coastline. The center issued an information notice using the event’s key parameters and maintained that assessment as of Wednesday, indicating no tsunami threat to the country’s littoral following the magnitude 4.5 tremor.
Peru sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath the South American Plate, producing frequent earthquakes along the Andean margin. The Geophysical Institute and emergency authorities routinely publish rapid bulletins that include magnitude, depth, and shaking intensity to help local officials gauge impacts and communicate safety guidance. Authorities said conditions near Mancora remained normal after the quake, with no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage.