We got a phone call in Swindon from Spain about Peru this morning.

The BBC had just that moment whispered the earthquake into my ear.

Ten seconds later we were out of bed calling an imaginary roll call of brothers, cousins, aunties and uncles in Lima.

A phone call to the still shuddering city found that the whole family had reported in and were slowly recovering from the shock.

Pisco, Ica and Paracas are places we can see in our memory bank, the pain of the locals we can only imagine.