Authorities in Peru say the death toll from Wednesday's devastating earthquake has risen to 510 people, while survivors cope with hundreds of aftershocks in the country's southern coastal region.
Rescuers are struggling to reach hundreds of other people believed to be trapped in buildings toppled by the magnitude 8.0 quake on Wednesday. Some 1500 people are injured and struggling to get care, with medical facilities also damaged.
People are sleeping outdoors at night, fearing more aftershocks could destroy what is left of their homes. Quake damage to roads crippled access to the town of Pisco and other port cities along Peru's central coast.
The 2 minute-long initial jolt, centered inland, (145 kilometers) south of Lima blacked out power for a time to most of the country.
President Alan Garcia declared a state of emergency, and offers of assistance are flowing in from the United States, several Latin American nations, the International Red Cross and the United Nations.
