A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka coast on Tuesday. This development comes just six days after the region was hit by a massive 8.8 magnitude quake.
Today’s quake came after a series of powerful earthquakes in the region. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), on August 3, a 6.7 magnitude quake hit the Kuril Islands. Earlier, on July 30, a 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook Russia’s Far East at 8:25 am Japan time.
The earthquake on July 30 triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific. It did put countries from Japan and the US to Chile on high alert. Notably, no major damage from the tsunami was reported, but the seismic event unleashed a volcanic eruption.
Shortly after the quake, the Krasheninnikov volcano erupted for the first time in centuries. According to staff at the Kronotsky Reserve, where the volcano is located, it sent a thick ash plume six kilometres into the sky. Visuals went viral, which showed massive clouds of ash billowing over the mountain.
Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team, said “This is the first historically confirmed eruption of the Krasheninnikov volcano in 600 years,”
However, the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program in the United States records the volcano’s last eruption as taking place in 1550, about 475 years ago.
The recent earthquakes and the rare volcanic activity have put Russia’s Far East on edge, with scientists monitoring the situation closely for potential aftershocks or further eruptions.
ALSO READ: Watch: Krasheninnikov Volcano Erupts For First Time In 600 Years After Powerful Russia Earthquake
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.