A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region early Saturday morning, causing significant tremors. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 51 kilometers beneath the Pacific Ocean, some 90 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the region’s capital.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami threat but later retracted it, confirming that the danger had passed.
Despite the initial concerns, local authorities in Kamchatka did not issue a tsunami alert.
The 7.2 magnitude earthquake was felt across the Kamchatka Peninsula, including in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Emergency teams were dispatched to inspect buildings for damage, the regional branch of Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
No immediate reports of severe damage or casualties have been released.
The earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, though they were of lower intensity. The Kamchatka branch of Russia’s Unified Geophysical Service reported these aftershocks on its website, confirming that the region remains seismically active.
Ash and lava are now erupting from the Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka, in the far east of Russia.
A lava gush has also been produced by the volcano, TASS stated. Standing at 3,283 meters, Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka’s biggest volcanoes.
It is made up of three parts: the active “Young Shiveluch,” an old caldera, and the stratovolcano known as “Old Shiveluch.” “Young Shiveluch” features a 2,500-meter-tall lava dome.
Situated at the meeting point of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian island arcs, the volcano is 50 km away from Klyuchi hamlet in the Ust-Kamchatsky District and 450 km away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional headquarters.