The temor hit at 8.41am UK time in the Pacaua Samiria National Reserve Park. The quake struck around 180 km east of the town on of Moyobamba, the capital of the San Martín region in northern Peru, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It is also understood to have reached a depth of around 105 km.
The quake has caused severe damage across Peru, which has seen the collapse of a road and buildings caving in.
Pictures show debris falling from highrise buliding as the tremours cause structures to shake.
The earthquake was originally registered as a 7.5 magnitude tremor, but has since been upgraded to a 8.0 quake on the Richter Scale.
An 8.0 magnitude earthquake is incredibly powerful and can be felt 150 miles away from the epicentre.
The natural disaster is understood to have been felt in neighbouring countries in South America including Brazil according to residents in Peru.
A series of power cuts have been recorded in a number of Amazonian cities.
One user wrote on Twitter: “The earthquake struck Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Peru due to the magnitude was similar in those countries.”
At this stage it unclear at the extent of damage caused of if there have been any causalities.
However according to the USGS, an earthquake of this magnitude could cause “considerable” damage in places.
The USGS says a magnitude 8.0 earthquake can: “Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse.
“Damage great in poorly built structures.
“Fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned.”
Earthquakes are very common on the continent which lies on the Pacific’s so-called Ring of Fire.
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