A 7.0-magnitude earthquake has been recorded off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The local emergencies ministry said tremors were felt along the coast, including in the region's capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, AFP reported.
"Operational teams of rescuers and firefighters are checking the buildings," the regional branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry in Kamchatka Krai said in a Telegram message.
The quake occurred at a depth of nearly 50 km shortly after 7:00 a.m. local time, about 90 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the US Geological Survey said.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami alert, but later reported that the danger had passed. Local authorities never issued a tsunami warning.
After the initial quake, several aftershocks were recorded, but of lower intensity, the Kamchatka branch of Russia's Unified Geophysical Service said on its website.
The peninsula is located in a seismically active belt surrounding most of the Pacific Ocean known as the "Ring of Fire," and is home to more than two dozen active volcanoes. | BGNES
