Bishops of Peru pray for victims of earthquake that leaves at least 5 dead

Peru's bishops offered prayers and expressed solidarity with victims of a 5.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the Junín region Saturday night, killing at least five people, injuring more than twenty, and affecting hundreds. The quake, centered in Chongos Bajo district about 193 miles east of Lima, destroyed approximately 50 homes and the historic Cani Cruz monument, a 16th-century limestone cross designated a national heritage site in 1990. Rescue operations involving police, firefighters, and the military are ongoing; authorities attribute the extensive damage to substandard construction materials, and the Geophysical Institute of Peru has recorded 12 aftershocks.