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A devastating 5.6 magnitude earthquake has struck Peru, resulting in at least one fatality this evening.

The tremor, which originated off the central coast of Peru, caused buildings to shake in Lima and the nearby port city of Callao, leading to one death and five injuries, as confirmed by officials.

The seismic event occurred at 11:35am local time in the Pacific Ocean, with the United States Geological Survey pinpointing its epicentre 23 kilometres southwest of Callao, just west of the capital, Lima.

Tragically, a 36 year old man lost his life in northern Lima while he was "standing outside his vehicle waiting for a passenger" when part of a wall from a building under construction collapsed onto him, according to Police Col. Ramiro Clauco speaking to RPP radio.

Hospitals are currently treating the five injured individuals, and the Emergency Operations Center has reported infrastructural damage including roads and educational facilities,

is en route to Callao to oversee the situation, as announced by the Peruvian presidency on X. Local media footage has also captured scenes of cars damaged by debris, wrecked homes, and fallen billboards.

Hernando Tavera, executive president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru, informed a local TV channel N that the quake was felt across all districts of Lima.

Reports from local radio stations indicated that a professional football game at Lima's Alberto Gallardo Stadium was temporarily halted, and a church service at Lima's cathedral was disrupted as congregants rushed out in panic.

Peru is situated along the Ring of Fire, a seismic hotspot that traces the Pacific Ocean and is known for its frequent earthquakes and active volcanoes.