Fire Kills 10, Destroys Homes in Peru’s Capital

July 23, 2026

View of debris at the site of a fire that killed ten people in Lima on July 22, 2026. A fire in a low-income neighborhood in Lima killed 10 people and destroyed two homes, Peru's civil defense reported. Two more people were injured, the INDECI civil defense institute wrote in a social media post. (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP)

A fire tore through a low-income neighbourhood in Peru‘s capital, Lima, killing 10 people, including five children, and destroying two homes, the country’s civil defence agency said on Wednesday.

The National Institute of Civil Defence (INDECI) said two other people sustained injuries in the blaze.

Police confirmed that nine of the victims belonged to the same family, with five of them minors.

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Police chief Oscar Arriola said authorities had launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

Aerial view of a house where a fire killed ten people in Lima on July 22, 2026. A fire in a low-income neighborhood in Lima killed 10 people and destroyed two homes, Peru’s civil defense reported. Two more people were injured, the INDECI civil defense institute wrote in a social media post. (Photo by Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP)

“We are investigating the point of origin, the circumstances and the causes of this fire,” Arriola told reporters.

Local media suggested the blaze may have been linked to extortionists targeting businesses in the area. Colonel John Lujan, who is leading the investigation, said officials were examining whether the fire was deliberately set as part of an extortion scheme.

One survivor, Gina Vilchez, said she managed to escape with her children while many relatives remained trapped inside.

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“There are 17 of us. Ten have died and seven of us were saved,” she said.

President-elect Keiko Fujimori visited the scene and described the tragedy as “a terrible massacre.”

She pledged to prioritise security after taking office, saying Peruvians were demanding greater order and protection in their communities.

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