A strong earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale rocked northern Peru late on Sunday, killing at least four people.

The quake struck at 8:55 PM (01:55 GMT Monday) and the epicenter was located about 115 km underground and 75 km northeast of the town of Moyobamba, according to Peru's Geographics Institute.
 
Radio reports said residents in Moyobamba were sleeping in the streets, afraid of more quakes.

The earthquake has caused power outages and cut phone service throughout much of the northern region.

Officials said the tremor was proved to be strong enough to destroy at least 10 houses in the town of Lamas, near Moyobamba.

A resident of Lamas has told a radio that about 20 houses had collapsed there.

The jolt was also felt throughout Peru's northern coast and Lima and in the Colombian capital of Bogota.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2005)