Series of strong quakes strike near Kamchatka, tsunami threat lifted
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday, followed by a series of significant aftershocks.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially issued a tsunami alert but later confirmed that the danger had passed.
According to the US Geological Survey, the strongest quake occurred at a depth of 20 kilometres and was located about 144 kilometres east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of around 180,000 people.
Smaller — but still substantial — quakes were recorded before and after. Russian state media said, citing local geologists, that over two dozen aftershocks had hit Kamchatka. It added their strength was gradually receding.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake was recorded 166 kilometres from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, marking the fifth tremor in a series of quakes to hit the region. Earlier, four quakes with magnitudes of 5.3, 6.5, 6.8, and 7.6 had already been registered in the same area.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry initially issued a tsunami warning urging residents of coastal areas to stay away from the shoreline. Water levels in a nearby lake reportedly began to rise. However, no casualties or major damage have been reported, and authorities later confirmed there was no need for evacuation.
Earlier estimates predicted waves of up to 60 centimetres could reach parts of the peninsula, including the regional capital.
These warnings were lifted several hours later by both Russian authorities and the US National Tsunami Warning Center, which had briefly issued a tsunami watch for Hawaii.
Seismological agencies including the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and Germany’s GFZ confirmed the magnitude of the main quake as 7.4, after initially reporting it at 6.7.
Kamchatka has a history of major seismic activity. On November 4, 1952, a magnitude 9.0 quake in the region triggered 9.1-metre waves in Hawaii, though it caused no fatalities in Kamchatka itself.
Emergency teams are now inspecting buildings in the affected areas, and residents are advised to remain alert as authorities continue to monitor aftershock activity.
