Tsunami warning after 2 large quakes off Russia's Pacific coast
MOSCOW (AP) — The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a threat forecast for Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula after two quakes — the larger with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea nearby on Sunday.
The larger quake was at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles) and was 144 kilometers (89 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A few minutes earlier, a quake with a magnitude of 6.7 was recorded nearby.
The PTWC initially said there was a danger of major tsunami waves but later downgraded its warning to say that waves of up to a meter (3.3 feet) could occur.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry also issued a tsunami warning following the second quake, urging residents of coastal settlements to stay away from the shore.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
On Nov. 4, 1952, a magnitude 9.0 quake in Kamchatka caused damage but no reported deaths despite setting off 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves in Hawaii.