Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula was rocked by a second significant earthquake on Tuesday, registering a magnitude of 6.0, just days after a devastating 8.8 magnitude quake struck the same region.
The latest tremor comes less than a week after the July 30 megaquake, which triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, affecting nations from Japan and Hawaii to Chile. Millions were urged to evacuate as coastal regions braced for possible waves. The quake also led to the eruption of one of Kamchatka’s most active volcanoes and caused injuries and building damage in the sparsely populated area, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the original 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit at 11:25 a.m. local time, about 119 kilometers southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It is among the six strongest earthquakes ever recorded globally.
Japan, still scarred by the 2011 disaster, swiftly issued evacuation orders along much of its eastern seaboard. Similar precautions were taken in parts of the United States and South America.
In a separate event, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake also struck the Kuril Islands on August 3, further intensifying seismic concerns in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Authorities continue to monitor aftershocks and geological instability in the region.
