A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has hit the eastern coast of Russia, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The quake struck early this morning local time, with its epicenter over 88 kms from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city with a population of around 1.81 lakh. The earthquake occurred at a depth of over 48 kms. The epicentre was monitored at 52.8 degrees north latitude and 160.15 degrees east longitude.
The US Tsunami Warning System had warned initially that hazardous tsunami waves could be possible within 300 kilometers of the earthquake’s epicenter along the Russian coast. But later it said the threat passed.