LIMA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - A strong earthquake Friday rattled the southern Peruvian region devastated by a powerful quake earlier in the week, triggering panic in the hardest hit town of Pisco.

The quake, measuring 5.5 on the open-ended Richter scale and lasting 10 seconds, struck at 8:19 am (1319 GMT), according to the Peruvian Geophysical Institute.

Its epicenter was located some 200 kilometers south of Lima, the Institute said, adding that there have been some 300 aftershocks since the magnitude eight quake on Wednesday that killed some 500 people.

LIMA, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Peru was rattled by a large aftershock late Wednesday, just hours after a massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake left at least 29 people dead.

The US Geological Survey reported a 5.6 magnitude aftershock near the coast of central Peru at around 11:00 pm (0400 GMT Thursday).

It was not immediately known if the earthquake, located some 174 kilometers (108 miles) southeast of Lima, caused any additional damage or casualties.