Weekly Report - 23 August 2007 (ISSN 1741-7422)

The region of Ica in southern Peru was hit by a violent earthquake of force 7.9 on the Richter scale on 15 August. More than 500 people were killed with a further 1,500 injured and some 80,000 left homeless. Powerful aftershocks claimed further victims in the region. Aside from the incalculable human loss, economists estimate that the earthquake will knock half a percentage point off economic growth in 2007, lowering predictions to 7.5%.