The U.S. Geological Survey says it was centered 31 miles (50 kilometers) from Ica at a depth of 9.2 miles (15 kilometers). The location is 186 miles (299 kilometers) southwest of Lima.
A police officer in Ica, Ruben Vargas, says people rushed out of their homes in panic but there didn't appear to be any damage.
He said that many people were still in the streets nearly a half hour after the 1:54 p.m. (18:54 GMT) quake.
