Peru’s coastline battered by tsunami-like waves one day after country declares environmental emergency 

The huge swell struck the coastline of Peru, Chile, and Ecuador one day after an environmental emergency was declared in the wake of an oil spill in the region

A deadly swell struck Peru’s northern coastline triggering tsunami-like waves that ravaged local communities and forced 75 percent of the nation’s ports to close, potentially devastating local economies.

 

The over 13-feet waves crashed onto the shores of Lobitos, Mancora, and Cabo Blanco – 700 miles north of Peru’s capital Lima – Friday from around midday, according to local reports.

The extreme weather phenomenon coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which struck India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia, among other nations, in 2004 killing more than 230,000 people.

 

Two people were reported to have died in Ecuador's southwestern Manta region and a 30-year-old man was found dead at a beach in Chile – no deaths have been reported in Peru, according to AFP.

The extreme weather phenomenon came the day after Peru declared an environmental emergency following a shipment from state oil firm Petroperu on December 21 that sent 10,000 square meters of crude oil spilling into the sea, reported Reuters.

Madeline Sherratt: Monday 30 December 2024 15:25 GMT: The Independent: