Earthquake in Kamchatka had little impact, only furniture shook

A strong earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale was recorded off the coast of Kamchatka in the Russian Far East on Thursday. The epicenter was located 128 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a warning of possible high waves along the coast of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, as well as parts of Alaska, but later withdrew it.

The tsunami waves reached a height of 30 to 62 centimeters on the coast, but did not pose a serious threat. No major damage or injuries were reported.

In the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky region, where most of the peninsula's approximately 165,000 inhabitants live, only wobbling furniture and slight tremors in buildings were reported.

(reuters, est)