Huge 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes off Russian coast as tsunami warning issued

17 August 2024, 20:52 | Updated: 17 August 2024, 22:16

An enormous magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck off the Russian coast, as authorities warned of a possible tsunami.

The quake was recorded at a depth of around 51km (32 miles) and struck off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The US National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) confirmed there was the threat of a tsunami following the huge quake.

It struck at around 8.10pm BST and any possible tsunami is expected around 9pm.

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The NTWC said waves “reaching 0.3m-1m” above tide level were possible and should only hit Russian shores.

Officials later said the impacts were likely to be limited regarding possible landslides or liquefaction.

They also said there was a “low likelihood” of casualties from the earthquake.