Powerful earthquake A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Friday night (local time) off the coast of southern Peru at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGC).

The quake struck eight kilometers (5 miles) west of Atiquipa, about 600 kilometers (372 miles) south of the Peruvian capital.

However, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for “possible” waves of up to 1 to 3 meters along some coasts in Peru.

“Based on all available data, dangerous tsunami waves are predicted for some coasts,” the center said.

Peru’s Geophysical Institute (IGP) has also issued a tsunami warning meaning authorities should activate protocols to protect the population due to the “possible” occurrence of a tsunami.

Peru, and most of the Pacific coast of South America, lies on the border of two tectonic plates: the South American plate, which includes most of the continent, and the Nazca plate, which extends across the Pacific along most of of the coast.