Explosion in high-crime area in northern Peru injures 10 people and damages 25 homes
Interior Minister Carlos Malaver said the Thursday night blast in the city of Trujillo could be related to disputes between criminal groups primarily involved in extortion, one of the crimes that has increased the most in Peru in recent years.
The explosion, which also interrupted electric service in the area and affected an unknown number of vehicles, was the second explosion reported in the South American country Thursday. The first went off at a gym in the capital, Lima, but no injuries were immediately reported.
Explosive attacks, especially on small businesses, are reported almost daily by local media in Lima and other Peruvian cities, including in the state of La Libertad, which encompasses Trujillo. Detonations inside public transportation buses, resulting in injuries, have also been reported.
The government of La Libertad has previously acknowledged that crime sometimes overwhelms police. The state's emergency service agency in a statement Friday said some of the people injured in Thursday's blast suffered burns and cuts, but it did not detail their conditions further.
Extortion complaints in Peru totaled 15,989 between January and July of this year, a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to official data.
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Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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