Powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Kamchatka region; tsunami threat briefly issued
No immediate damage reported; aftershocks follow as Kamchatka's remote Far East region experiences a string of recent quakes.
A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the east coast of Russia's Kamchatka region, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of damage.
The epicenter was about 127 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and the quake occurred at 6:58 a.m. local time, according to USGS. It had a depth of about 19.5 kilometers, the agency said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning System briefly issued a tsunami threat, but the alert was later lifted.
The initial quake was followed by a series of aftershocks reaching up to magnitude 5.8, according to USGS.
The Kamchatka region has been hit by a string of powerful earthquakes in recent weeks, including a magnitude-7.4 quake last week and another in July. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The event underscores ongoing seismic activity in the remote Far East region, where large earthquakes have occurred in quick succession in recent months.