KAMCHATKA PENINSULA: Tsunami waves were possible in three areas of Russia’s Far East following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake near the Kuril Islands, the Ministry for Emergency Services warned on Sunday.
“The expected wave heights are low, but you must still move away from the shore,“ the ministry said on Telegram.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning System detected the quake but issued no tsunami alert, while the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the magnitude at 7.0.
Meanwhile, the Krasheninnikov Volcano erupted for the first time in 600 years, as reported by Russia’s RIA news agency and scientists.
“This is the first historically confirmed eruption of Krasheninnikov Volcano in 600 years,“ said Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team.
The ash plume reached 6,000 meters (3.7 miles), drifting eastward toward the Pacific Ocean without threatening populated areas.
The eruption triggered an orange aviation code, signaling heightened risks for aircraft.
Both events may be linked to last week’s massive earthquake that caused tsunami warnings as far as French Polynesia and Chile. Russian scientists had warned of potential aftershocks in the region. – Reuters