Powerful earthquake strikes near Russia’s east coast

Second earthquake strikes region in a month

File photo shows a view of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city with Klyuchevskaya Sopka mountain on the background (AFP via Getty Images)

An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck near the east coast of Kamchatka in far east Russia, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

The quake struck at a depth of 100km (62.13 miles), EMSC said.

Tremors were felt in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at around 3.06pm local time (3.06 am GMT) on Monday.

No tsunami warning has been issued by the US Tsunami Warning System.

The Russian Academy of Sciences’ geophysical service said the earthquake measured 6.9 and hit near Avacha Bay in the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, reported Sputnik News.

The earthquake’s magnitude was revised from the initial 5.7. The epicentre of the quake was 99.5km (62 miles), in the waters of the Avacha Bay.

A video shared on social media showed computer screens in an office shaking and spilled water from a glass.

This was the second earthquake in the Kamchatka region within a month, after a 6.1 temblor hit Kamchatka Peninsula’s southern coast on 8 March.

The earthquake last month caused two subsequent aftershocks within three hours after the first seismic activity.

The Kamchatka Peninsula, located in the Russian Far East, is 1,250km long. The region has the highest density of active volcanoes, with 19 active volcanoes in the region included in Unesco’s World Heritage List.

The region is also prone to earthquakes as it sits on the northeastern part of a seismically active zone in the Pacific Ocean known as the Ring of Fire.