Moscow, 13 September (H.S.): A powerful earthquake with a magnitude ranging between 7.1 and 7.4 struck near the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Saturday, triggering tsunami warnings and heightened alert across the region. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the tremor registered a magnitude of 7.4 and originated at a depth of 39.5 kilometers, approximately 111 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the peninsula’s administrative center. Meanwhile, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) and China’s Tsunami Warning Center reported the quake at magnitudes around 7.1 with a shallower depth near 10 to 15 kilometers.

Regional authorities, including Kamchatka Krai Governor Vladimir Solodov, swiftly issued tsunami warnings and urged coastal communities to remain vigilant for hazardous waves potentially as high as one meter. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also indicated minor tsunami wave possibilities along nearby Russian shores, while waves reaching less than 30 centimeters may affect distant Pacific locations like Japan and Hawaii.

This seismic event follows the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the Kamchatka region in July 2025, which triggered widespread evacuations and tsunami alerts across the Pacific Rim. Despite the intensity, the recent tremor has so far caused no reported injuries or significant property damage, highlighting the region’s preparedness against such natural calamities.

Authorities continue to monitor for aftershocks and evolving conditions, keeping emergency response teams on alert to safeguard the local population amid Kamchatka’s persistent tectonic volatility, situated along the active Pacific “Ring of Fire.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar