Authorities have lifted tsunami warnings issued after a series of powerful earthquakes struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday, easing initial fears of destructive waves along the Pacific coast.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) announced there was no longer a threat of tsunami waves, after earlier cautioning that the largest quake — a magnitude 7.4 tremor — could trigger hazardous surges. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake struck at a depth of 20 kilometers, about 144 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of roughly 180,000 residents.
The seismic sequence began with a magnitude 5.0 quake, followed by several stronger shocks in rapid succession. Russian state media, citing local geologists, reported over two dozen aftershocks, though their intensity was gradually weakening.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry had urged residents in coastal areas to move inland as a precaution. A separate tsunami watch for Hawaii, issued by the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center, was later canceled.
No casualties or major damage have been reported. The Russian authorities confirmed that evacuations were not necessary and declared the danger over just over two hours after the initial quake.
The region lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” known for frequent and intense seismic activity. A historic magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit Kamchatka on November 4, 1952, sending 30-foot waves toward Hawaii, though no fatalities were recorded at the time.
Sunday’s tremors serve as a stark reminder of the region’s seismic volatility.