(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – A powerful earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.8 hit Kamchatka peninsula in Russia on Tuesday (18), triggering threats of tsunami. As per the latest updates by US Geological Survey and US Pacific Tsunmai Center, the tsunami threat was cleared by the officials. The quake hit 125 miles away from the city of Nikolskoye on Bering island off the Kamchatka Peninsula at 11:34 am (Russia local time) on Tuesday. Attu, the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands, is believed to be the epicenter of the earthquake.
So far, there have been reports of any casualties or property damage from the earthquake, because the epicenter of the shallow quake was far away from the mainland. Russia’s emergency services ministry from Kamchatka area issued warnings after the earthquake that the water waves may rise up to 50 cm high on its way to Nikolskoye.
After the earthquake, immediate warnings of tsunami were issued by U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The center warned earlier that “hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts within 300 km (186 miles) of the earthquake epicenter.” The initial magnitude levels of earthquake was believed be 7.7 which was later revised to be 7.4 and finally updated to be 7.8. The strong earthquake was followed by numerous aftershocks, some above a magnitude level of 5.
Meanwhile, Meanwhile, another earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude struck the coast of Peru on Monday, US Geological Survey said. The quake was at a depth of 44 km and was centered 104 km southeast of Puquio town of Peru.
Courtesy: The Indian Express
