“So far, we have three deceased people, two men and one woman,” Fire Station Commander Gerky Gomez told American television.
Local health officials Anibal Moriro said the number of injuries rose to 74 after the Ministry of Health reported 20 people injured.
“We evacuated 74 people who were injured in hospitals and clinics, 10 of them are children. 11 seriously injured,” Moriro told RPP Radio.
Dozens of families were in the mall’s food courts when the roof collapsed, according to local media reports.
The collapse occurred at the actual plaza shopping complex in Trujillo, the country’s third largest city, located about 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of the capital, Lima.
A search for survivors was ongoing, with over 100 firefighters and police officers searching for the debris.
“There’s a child trapped under the metal structure on the roof,” Moriro told broadcaster Panamericana.
Home Minister Juan Jose Santivanes estimated that the collapsed roof area was between 700 and 800 square meters.
“We need a hydraulic crane to lift a part of the roof. The roof has not yet been removed because it is so heavy, so we are going to continue the rescue operations for those who may be trapped.” He spoke to Canal N TV Channel.
According to the local emergency operations centre, the collapse occurred at 8:41pm, but was only reported after about 30 minutes.
MNA/