Tsunami Warning Issued After Multiple Earthquakes Off Russian Coast

The epicenter was near the intersection of Pacific and North American tectonic plates, a seismically active zone. No casualties were reported, and no US territories were within the alert zone.

Kamchatka: A series of powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia's far east on Sunday, triggering a tsunami alert, the US Geological Survey said. The magnitudes were recorded as 5.0, 6.7, and 7.4, prompting the USGS to warn that "hazardous tsunami waves are possible".  Several aftershocks were also reported. However, these did not result in  casualties.

It said the tsunami alert zone applied for coastal areas within a radius of 300 kilometres (186 miles) of the epicentre in the Pacific Ocean, off the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The state of Alaska sits across the Bering Sea from the city, but no US territory appeared to be in the alert zone. The initial earthquakes were followed by several aftershocks, including another 6.7-magnitude quake, said USGS.

The epicentre was around 140 kilometres east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, capital of the Kamchatka region. The Kamchatka peninsula is the meeting point of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making it a seismic hot zone. Since 1900, seven major earthquakes of magnitude 8.3 or higher have struck the area. 

 On November 4, 1952, a powerful earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude struck the Kamchatka Peninsula. Although it triggered massive tsunami waves reaching up to 9.1 meters (30 feet) in Hawaii, there were no reported fatalities. While Alaska lies just across the Bering Sea from Kamchatka, no U.S. territories were reported to be at risk or under alert following the recent seismic activity in the area.