On Sunday, a series of significant earthquakes occurred off the coast of Russia’s Far East, prompting the US Geological Survey to issue a tsunami warning.
Initially, two earthquakes measuring 5.0 and 6.7 on the Richter scale did not lead to a tsunami alert. However, a subsequent quake registering 7.4 in magnitude at 0849 GMT prompted the US Geological Survey to issue a warning about the potential for “hazardous tsunami waves”.
A tsunami alert has been issued for coastal regions located within a 300-kilometre (186-mile) radius of the epicentre in the Pacific Ocean, near the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Alaska, located across the Bering Sea from the city, was noted in reports, yet no US territory was identified within the alert zone.
The initial earthquakes were succeeded by a series of aftershocks, one of which registered a magnitude of 6.7, according to the US Geological Survey.
The epicentre was located approximately 140 kilometres east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital of the Kamchatka region.
The Kamchatka Peninsula serves as a crucial intersection for the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making it a significant seismic hot zone.
Since 1900, the region has experienced seven significant earthquakes, each with a magnitude of 8.3 or greater.
