On Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 7.0 magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the measured magnitude of the earthquake was 7.2, with a depth of 51 kilometers (32 miles).
The earthquake occurred approximately 50 miles from the coastal city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which is reportedly home to over 150,000 people.
Initially, the United States National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami threat warning, stating that coastal areas in Russia could experience “waves higher than 0.3 to 1 meter above tide levels.”
However, the center later declared that the threat had passed, and the local government did not issue a tsunami warning.
The USGS mentioned that the potential impact of landslides or soil liquefaction may be limited, and they predicted a “low likelihood” of casualties due to the earthquake.
The Kamchatka branch of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations stated on Telegram that rescue personnel and firefighting teams were inspecting buildings in the area.
The Kamchatka branch of the Russian Unified Geophysical Service reported on its website that several aftershocks were recorded following the initial earthquake, but they were of lower intensity.
The USGS stated that the earthquake could be felt up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) away from the epicenter. In 1952, a magnitude 9 earthquake in the region reportedly triggered a major tsunami.
(This article was based on reports from UK’s “Sky News” and Agence France-Presse.)