7.4-magnitude quake hits off east coast of Russia's Kamchatka

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, the local geophysical service said on Thursday. Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said that a tsunami alert has been issued for the eastern coast of the peninsula and residents were being notified.

All services have been put on high alert, he said, adding that authorities began immediate inspections of social facilities and residential buildings after the quake. In an updated report, Solodov said waves of up to 1.5 meters could be expected in some parts of the coastal area, while in the more densely populated Petropavlovsk area, the waves were estimated to be less than 0.1 meters.