7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes off Russia’s Kamchatka Coast, Tsunami Warning Issued
Governor says waves up to 1.5 meters possible; residents on high alert as aftershocks continue
Moscow, Sept 18: A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula late Wednesday, triggering a tsunami alert and putting emergency services on high readiness, authorities confirmed.
The quake, recorded at 1858 GMT, had its epicenter about 149 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional capital, at a depth of 39 km, according to the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Survey.
Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a Telegram post that coastal residents were being notified, with waves of up to 1.5 meters possible in some areas. However, in the more densely populated Petropavlovsk area, waves were expected to remain below 0.1 meters, hydrometeorological officials reported.
Authorities immediately launched inspections of social facilities and residential buildings. Solodov confirmed that all services were placed on high alert to respond swiftly if required.
The local geophysical service reported a series of aftershocks, including at least 10 registering above magnitude 5.
The quake comes amid a period of heightened seismic activity in Kamchatka, which has been rattled by several powerful tremors over the past two months, including a magnitude 8.8 and two earlier quakes of magnitude 7.4.
