Kamchatka Quakes: Tsunami Danger Averted
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre announced the end of a tsunami threat to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula after five strong earthquakes, the largest at 7.4 magnitude, struck offshore. Initial tsunami warnings were downgraded as the situation stabilized. No casualties or damages were reported, and evacuation was deemed unnecessary.
- Country:
- Russian Federation
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre recently declared that the threat of tsunami waves on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula has subsided. This announcement followed five significant earthquakes, with the most powerful reaching a magnitude of 7.4, occurring offshore. Initial warnings were scaled back as the situation became stable.
The strongest earthquake, recorded at a depth of 20 kilometers, hit 144 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city with 180,000 residents. The US Geological Survey documented a sequence of smaller but noteworthy tremors before and after the main quake. According to Russian state media, over twenty aftershocks affected Kamchatka, though their intensity waned over time.
Both the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and Russia's Emergencies Ministry issued tsunami alerts, advising coastal residents to steer clear of the shoreline. Thankfully, there were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage, leading to no evacuation plans being initiated. A historic comparison can be drawn to the November 4, 1952, 9.0 magnitude quake in Kamchatka, which caused significant waves but no fatalities.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News