Powerful Earthquake Rocks Peru

June 23 -- A powerful earthquake lasting more than aminute rocked southern Peru and Chile on Saturday killing at least12 people and collapsing dozens of homes, the Peru's GeophysicalInstitute said.

At least three people were injured in northern Chile. The quakewas also felt in Bolivia.

Images broadcast by Canal N from the Peruvian city of Arequipashowed parts of a historic building crumbled in the central square,and said two people had died. Arequipa is 750 kilometers (465miles) southeast of Lima, the capital.

Peru's Civil Defense Chief Juan Luis Podesta told radioRadioprogramas that no deaths had been confirmed but that dozens ofadobe homes in Arequipa and the southern city of Tacna, near theborder with Chile, were destroyed.

He said in one neighborhood of Arequipa, alone, 47 houses hadfallen.

There were conflicting reports on the quake's magnitude.

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake InformationCenter in Golden, Colorado, said a 7.9-magnitude quake wasregistered off the coast of Peru in the Pacific Ocean.

The Peruvian Geophysical Institute said the quake registered apreliminary magnitude of 6.

Radio reports said firefighters in Arequipa were attending to"emergencies" and that the main hospital there was attending to"minor injuries."

At least five aftershocks were reported.

In Chile the most affected city was Arica, 2,000 kilometers(1,250 miles) north of Santiago, the capital.

The Emergency Office spokeswoman, Carmen Fernandez, said somehouses sustained some damage there, and electricity and telephoneservices were interrupted.

Arica Major Carlos Valcarce said three people were injured,including a woman who suffered a broken leg when part of collapsingwall fell onto her.

Regional governor Sonia Castillo said "there are noindications" that a tsunami may occur after the earthquake.