Tsunami risk after major quake near Russia’s Kamchatka region

(Web Desk): The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations has reported that a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the Kuril Islands, close to Russia's eastern Kamchatka region. Following the quake, tsunami waves are possible in three areas.

According to a report by the British news agency Reuters, the ministry stated on the messaging app Telegram that while the expected wave height is low, residents are still advised to stay away from the coast.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning System, which also recorded the quake at magnitude 7.0, confirmed that no tsunami warning has been issued. The US Geological Survey likewise recorded the earthquake at the same magnitude.

Russia’s state news agency RIA, along with scientists, reported on Sunday that the Krasheninnikov volcano in Kamchatka erupted for the first time in 600 years late at night.

Both incidents could be related to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Russia last week, prompting tsunami warnings as far as French Polynesia and Chile, and also triggering an eruption of Klyuchevskaya, Kamchatka’s most active volcano.

The Kuril Islands stretch from the southern edge of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Russian scientists warned on Wednesday that powerful aftershocks may occur in the region over the coming weeks.

RIA quoted Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka volcanic eruption response team, saying this is the first historically confirmed eruption of the Krasheninnikov volcano in 600 years.

On the Telegram channel of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Olga Girina said the last known eruption of Krasheninnikov occurred within 40 years of 1463, and no eruption has been recorded since.

The Kamchatka branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that after the eruption, a cloud of ash reaching 6,000 meters (3.7 miles) in height was recorded. The volcano itself stands 1,856 meters tall.

The ministry said via Telegram that the ash cloud is drifting eastward over the Pacific Ocean, and there are no populated areas in its path.

The volcano has been assigned an orange aviation code, indicating a high level of threat to aircraft.