Powerful Quake Strikes Russia’s Far East, Triggers Tsunami Warning

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake rattled Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula on Thursday morning, prompting authorities to issue a local tsunami warning for its eastern coastline.

The tremor underscores the region’s vulnerability to seismic events and highlights the need for vigilant coastal monitoring, as emergency teams remain on high alert for potential waves.

Governor Vladimir Solodov reported the quake struck at 6:58 a.m. local time (Sept. 18) at a shallow depth of around 10 km, about 127 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. He said seismic sensors initially recorded the magnitude at 7.2 before U.S. agencies revised it upward to 7.8.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center officials quickly issued an advisory for Russia’s eastern shore extending into the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean, warning residents and vessels to seek higher ground. The alert did not extend to Alaska’s Aleutians or North America’s mainland coasts, and was later downgraded as no hazardous waves materialized.

Several aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 5.1 to 5.8, followed the main shock. Solodov confirmed that no damage or casualties had been reported as response teams surveyed inhabited areas and inspected critical infrastructure.

The Kamchatka Peninsula sits atop the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has experienced multiple powerful quakes this year, including an 8.8-magnitude event in July that generated a Pacific-wide tsunami. Authorities continue to reinforce evacuation plans and bolster early-warning systems to mitigate risks from future seismic activity.