At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.

The earthquakes, measuring 5.1 and 3.7 in magnitude, hit late on Saturday in Chupaca province, about 300 kilometres east of Lima, according to Peru's National Seismological Center.

Civil defence chief Luis Vásquez said preliminary assessments indicate 48 homes were destroyed and another 18 damaged, affecting around 300 people, many of whom have been provided with emergency shelter.

The first earthquake struck at a depth of 24 kilometres, followed by a second at 18 kilometres, while the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre initially estimated the larger quake at magnitude 5.6.

Emergency crews and firefighters arrived in the affected communities early on Sunday to clear debris amid concerns that more victims could still be trapped.

• Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 strikes central Peru, EMSC says

Communities vulnerable to earthquakes

Many homes in the affected area are built from adobe blocks, making them particularly vulnerable to seismic activity.

Peru lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world's most active seismic zones, where around 85 per cent of global earthquakes occur.

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