A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the east coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Saturday, September 13, 2025, prompting temporary tsunami warnings before authorities confirmed no destructive waves would follow.
The shallow quake, recorded at a depth of 24.5 miles by the U.S. Geological Survey, occurred approximately 70 miles east of the port city Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky around 2:40 p.m. local time.
Residents in the city of 165,000 reported strong tremors that sent people fleeing from buildings, though no major damage was immediately reported.
Governor Vladimir Solodov initially urged coastal caution and declared a tsunami threat, but the U.S. Tsunami Warning System lifted the alert approximately one hour later after determining no dangerous waves would materialize.
The seismic event marks the second significant quake to impact the region in recent months, following an 8.8 magnitude trembler in August, 2025 that generated Pacific wide tsunami waves reaching Hawaii and California.
Kamchatka Peninsula, located along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences substantial earthquakes due to tectonic plate interactions.
Russian emergency services remain on alert for potential aftershocks, though the region's infrastructure appears to have withstood the initial shaking without major incident.