Tsunami threat after 2 large quakes off Russia’s Pacific coast

MOSCOW (AP) — The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a threat forecast for Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after two quakes — the larger with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea nearby on Sunday.

The larger quake was at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles) and was 144 kilometers (89 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A few minutes earlier, a quake with a magnitude of 6.7 was recorded nearby.

The PTWC initially said there was a danger of major tsunami waves but later downgraded its warning to say that waves of up to a meter (3.3 feet) could occur.

Russia’s Emergencies Ministry also issued a tsunami warning following the second quake, urging residents of coastal settlements to stay away from the shore.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, and the ministry said it had no immediate plans to evacuate residents.

On Nov. 4, 1952, a magnitude 9.0 quake in Kamchatka caused damage but no reported deaths despite setting off 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves in Hawaii.