A series of earthquakes rocked the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s Far East on Monday, with the most powerful reaching a magnitude of 6.6, according to official data. There have been no reports of casualties or serious damage.
According to data released by the local branch of the United Geophysical Service, the 6.6-magnitude quake took place at about 3pm local time, some 50km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the peninsula’s only major city. It was followed by at least five weaker tremors, none of which exceeded a magnitude of 4.6.
The regional emergency services said that there have been no reports of any casualties or collapsed buildings. “However, there is information about damaged plaster and cracks that have appeared in some buildings,” they noted, adding that first responders were continuing to inspect the affected structures.
Vladimir Solodov, the governor of Kamchatka Region, confirmed this information, adding that in one case some concrete debris fell off one a building in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. “Fortunately, nobody was hit,” he added.
Videos released by local media outlets show parts of ceiling panels lying on the floor of one building in the aftermath of the quake. Other footage shows supermarkets with goods strewn throughout the aisles.
A generator at the local geothermal energy station automatically shut down amid the earthquakes, according to local officials. This led to brief power outages in several districts of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The quake did not affect Russia’s Pacific Fleet, which has several bases in the region, with all ships and military infrastructure remaining intact, the fleet's press service said.
The Kamchatka Peninsula is famous for its large group of volcanoes, which is a major tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage site.