Magnitude-7.5 quake shakes sparsely populated area of Peru

The quake could also be felt in the capital, Lima, 681km away to the east, witnesses said.

There was no immediate word of damage or injuries, but Reuters reported that the quake occurred in a sparsely populated jungle region and was unlikely to cause major damage.

Its epicenter was 185 miles (300 km) northwest of the Peruvian city of Puerto Maldonado.

The temblor was also felt mildly in Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina, according to local media reports.

But the last major quake in Peru, a 7.9 struck nearly a decade ago on August 15 2007, and had its epicenter on the central coast, just west of Pisco.

It was not immediately known if there was any damage or casualties.

Two earthquakes measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck Iberia town in Peru, according to the Peruvian Geophysical Institute.

Mining as well as oil and gas companies in the area reported operations functioning normally.