Peruvian social media creator Álvaro Zagal Medina, known online as Zagaladas, captured the moment a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Peru on August 20, 2026, while filming a video alongside his mother in Lima.
The seismic movement, which had its epicenter in the southern Andean region of Ayacucho, was felt strongly across the nation's capital, shaking the upper floor of the building where Zagal Medina was recording content with his team.
As objects began moving around them during the recording of a sketch, Zagal Medina's mother, Patricia Medina Fuchs, panicked and expressed immediate concern for her eldest daughter. When the influencer reminded her that she had three other children present, Medina Fuchs said that at least she would die with one of her children.
Her reaction reflected intense fear of fatal consequences, following news of deadly earthquakes in recent weeks in neighboring countries including Venezuela and Colombia. In contrast, Zagal Medina displayed calm throughout the tremor, and as soon as the shaking stopped, he requested that his team resume recording the project.
The influencer later uploaded the clip of his mother's reaction to TikTok, adding a caption that asked his followers where they were when the tectonic plates shifted. The post quickly attracted hundreds of comments from users who expressed solidarity and noted that they had experienced similar fear during the event.
Earthquake epicenter and damage reports
According to the Geophysical Institute of Peru, the magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck at a depth of 108 kilometers. Seismologists at the official monitoring agency pinpointed the epicenter to Parinacochas Province within the Ayacucho region.
Authorities confirmed that no fatalities or injuries were reported following the earthquake. However, the shaking caused structural cracks in several homes and triggered rockfalls in multiple surrounding areas.
Background on Peru seismic activity
Álvaro Zagal Medina is a prominent Peruvian digital creator who produces comedy sketches and lifestyle content under the moniker Zagaladas. His video was filmed in Lima, Peru's coastal capital city of nearly 10 million residents, located hundreds of kilometers northwest of the earthquake's epicenter in Ayacucho.
Peru sits directly on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped region encircling the Pacific Ocean basin where tectonic plate collisions cause frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The Geophysical Institute of Peru regularly monitors seismic activity across the South American nation.
