Sept. 26 (Bloomberg) -- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck northern Peru at 8:56 p.m. local time, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. At least four people died in the quake, Agence France-Presse reported.

The earthquake struck 85.4 kilometers (53.1 miles) underground, the USGS said. The epicenter was located about 75 kilometers northeast of the town of Moyobamba and 714 kilometers north-northwest of the capital Lima.

Local authorities told AFP at least four people died in the north of the country, the agency reported. There was no significant damage, the report said, citing unidentified scientists. It didn't given further details.

Peru is regularly hit by earthquakes. A 7.9 magnitude earthquake in the country in May 1970 left 66,000 people dead and caused $530 million in damage, according to the USGS Web site. Quakes of magnitude 5 and more can cause considerable damage, depending on their depth.

The quake may generate a local tsunami that could cause damage to coastal areas even though the tremor struck onshore, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an e-mail alert sent to Bloomberg. There is no risk of a large Pacific Ocean tsunami.

To contact the reporter for this story: Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo at asheldrick@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 26, 2005 00:10 EDT