The 1996 Chimbote earthquake occurred on February 21 at 07:51 local time about 130 km off the coast of northern Peru, near the Peru–Chile Trench.

The tsunami affected the Peruvian coastal area from Pacasmayo, La Libertad to Callao.

Twelve people were killed by the tsunami, all in remote areas, likely due to lack of information.

In more populated areas, such as Chimbote, people were aware of the approaching tsunami and were able to evacuate the coast in time.

The aftershock pattern of this earthquake ranged from 120 to 180 km off the coast and seemed to parallel the Peru–Chile Trench and the Peruvian coastline.