A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit 685 km in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy coast line, raising tsunami warnings in Russia on Tuesday. The earthquake happened at 05:04 AM (local time) with Kamchatka Krai peninsula being the epicenter. The quake followed several aftershocks before simmering down.
However, no reports of loss of lives or property have been reported so far.
The officials have issued warnings of a possible tsunami for the coastal areas within 300 km of the region. “Based on preliminary earthquake parameters… hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km (186 miles) of the earthquake epicenter,” said officials.
Notably, the area is sparsely populated, indicating low human impact. Another quake of the magnitude of 6.2 was recorded in the area earlier. The authorities have asked locals to avoid coastal best until more information is given.
The quake in Russia happened as the result of transform faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, reports USGS. The Aleutian trench is seismically active. The region has frequently been hit 6.5 magnitude and above shocks within 250 km since 1900.
The largest event was magnitude 7.8 earthquake that took place on 17 December, 1929.
