A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Peru, destroying buildings including a church tower, injuring at least two people and sending shock waves across the region.

The strong quake hit at 5:52 am (1052 GMT) at a depth of 131 kilometers, according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru.

The epicenter was 98 kilometers east of the small Peruvian town of Santa Maria de Nieva in the Peruvian Amazon - a sparsely populated area inhabited by Amazonian indigenous people.

It also caused damage in neighboring Ecuador.