5.6-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Kamchatka Peninsula
Moscow, August 21: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck off the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Thursday, according to the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The quake’s epicenter was located about 208 kilometers from the regional capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, at a depth of approximately 50 kilometers. Local residents in some neighborhoods reported minor tremors, though no serious damage or casualties have been confirmed so far.
The Kamchatka region, lying on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is one of the world’s most seismically active zones. In recent weeks, the peninsula has witnessed several powerful quakes. On July 30, the area experienced one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in its history, a massive 8.8 magnitude tremor, which triggered a tsunami wave up to four meters high along parts of the coast.
Authorities are closely monitoring the region for aftershocks, though seismologists note that today’s quake is of much lower magnitude compared to last month’s event.
Source: Based on reports from the Kamchatka Branch of the Unified Geophysical Service, Russian Academy of Sciences (QNA).
