Massive 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Near Russia’s Kamchatka Coast; Tsunami Warning Issued

Tsunami Warning Issued: A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka in Russia's Far East on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

There was no risk that the quake had triggered a tsunami, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC).

The USGS said the quake hit 111 kilometres (69 miles) east of the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the administrative centre of the Kamchatka region, at a depth of 39.5 kilometres.

The survey earlier gave a magnitude of 7.5 before downgrading it.

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The PTWC initially warned that "hazardous" waves of up to one metre (3.3 feet) were possible along some nearby Russian coasts.

The centre later said "the tsunami threat... has now passed".

The quake was caused by shallow reverse faulting and is the largest aftershock recorded to date following the July mainshock. The disaster occurred along the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone, where the Pacific Plate is moving west-northwest beneath the North American Plate at a rate of about 80 millimetres per year.

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The earthquake’s location and faulting mechanism align with activity along this plate boundary.

A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Saturday, USGS reported. The epicentre was at a shallow depth of 19.3 km.

Tsunami waves up to five meters hit the coastline, damaging buildings, including homes and a kindergarten. Roof collapses prompted emergency evacuations.

This follows a similarly powerful 8.8-magnitude quake in July, which triggered tsunamis up to four meters across the Pacific, prompting mass evacuations in Japan, Hawaii, and other regions.

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