Experts predict continued aftershocks with magnitudes potentially reaching up to 7.5 over the next month or more
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake – the strongest in the region since 1952 – struck Russia's Kamchatka region, followed by tsunami waves hitting the coastal area, the government of Sakhalin Oblast said on Wednesday.
Seismologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences' United Geophysical Service recorded a strong earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at around 12 noon local time (GMT000) on Wednesday.
Later, the scientists revised the magnitude to 8.7 based on various assessments, and Governor Vladimir Solodov later described the earthquake as "the most powerful quake since 1952," estimating its magnitude at 8.8.
The epicenter was located 149 km (92.6 mi) southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 17 km (10.6 mi).
Seismologists detected several strong aftershocks ranging between magnitudes 5.1 and 5.8 southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The tremors were felt with an intensity of three points in the regional capital itself.
A tsunami warning was issued for the coastline along the Kamchatka Peninsula, where in some parts, tsunami waves reaching heights of 3-4 meters (about 10-13 feet) were observed, specifically at Vodopadnaya weather station.
A tsunami impacted the coast of Severo-Kurilsk, where residents were evacuated to higher ground.
Within an hour after the initial event, eight earthquakes with magnitudes exceeding five occurred off the coast of Kamchatka. Experts predict continued aftershocks with magnitudes potentially reaching up to 7.5 over the next month or more.
In the history of observations, up to today, six strong earthquakes have been recorded on Kamchatka, the first one in 1737 of reported magnitude 9.0, the latest in 2006, a series of tremors with magnitudes ranging from 6.6 to 7.6.
The 2006 quake had two major tremors, the first with a magnitude of 7.6 on April 21, followed by aftershocks ranging from 4.3 to 5.1 in magnitude. Another powerful jolt struck on April 30 with a magnitude of 6.6, also triggering subsequent aftershocks.
The 2006 earthquake led to the evacuation of roughly 1,000 people and the partial destruction of some settlements. However, no fatalities were reported, with only 40 people sustaining injuries.
The Far East peninsula of Kamchatka is home to numerous active volcanoes, which makes it a seismically hazardous zone. Given the region’s sparse population, natural disasters typically do not result in significant loss of life.
