A rising death toll in Peru quake

As the night drags on into morning in Peru the death toll from the massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake continues to rise. The total stands at 330 dead and at least 1,000 injured, according to the country's civil defense ministry.

The location hardest hit seems to be Ica, a city of 650,000 people located 165 miles southeast of the capital. The temblor struck just off the coast and the department was declared a state of emergency.

Several buildings are reported fallen and many worshippers were killed and injured inside one of the larger churches when the structure collapsed. The large number of injured overwhelmed the local hospitals.

Rescue efforts to the region were hampered by damage to the Pan-American Highway between the department and Lima. Television news reported large numbers of dead and injured at hospitals - notably one report from the hosiptal in Chincha Alta, near the epicenter of the quake.

Firefighters in Lima responded to more than 100 emergencies overnight, more than half medical in nature. Thus far, only two people are reported dead in the city - perishing from heart attacks during the event.

All flights, national and international both into and out of Jorge Chávez International Airport, the country's main air hub, were canceled following the earthquake but are expected to resume today.

Last Wednesday night, Peruvian President Alan Garcia addressed the country via television.

"Thank you God Almighty, these terrible quakes did not cause a high death toll like in other years," he said.

The death toll has already surpassed the huge 8.4 magnitude quake that struck Southern Peru on June 23, 2001. That temblor killed about 75 people and left another 68 missing. Nearly 200,000 people were made homeless.

This photograph of that quake destroying the Cathedral in the center of the city gives and idea of the intensity of these events.

Last updated at 4:52 a.m.

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