7.4-magnitude quake rattles Russia’s Kamchatka, tsunami warning follows

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region on Saturday, 13 September, prompting a tsunami warning, officials said.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake hit 111 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional administrative centre, at a depth of 39.5 km.

Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov said a tsunami threat had been declared, urging residents to avoid beaches and other vulnerable coastal areas. “We ask you to be especially careful when visiting Khalaktyr beach and other tsunami-dangerous areas,” he wrote on Telegram, while calling on people to remain calm and follow official updates.

Japan’s meteorological agency said the quake could cause minor tidal fluctuations along Japan’s coast but posed no risk of damage.

The tremor follows a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Kamchatka on 30 July, which also triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific. That quake, recorded at a shallow depth of 19.3 km, caused widespread panic and fears of destructive waves in Russia and Japan.

Residents in coastal areas were once again urged to move to higher ground and follow emergency protocols.

Social media videos from Saturday’s quake showed furniture shaking violently, people rushing outdoors, and visible damage to buildings in parts of the region. Local reports suggested infrastructure losses, though assessments are still ongoing.

Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Kamchatka is among the world’s most seismically active zones, regularly experiencing powerful earthquakes and aftershocks.

With IANS inputs