WASHINGTON, July 30. /TASS/. The magnitude 8.7 earthquake that struck Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday could be among the six strongest on record, the Washington Post writes, citing the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

"The data is preliminary and could eventually be revised by the agency," the paper notes.

According to the Washington Post, the damage from the earthquake will only be determined "in the days and months ahead."

The strongest quake ever measured, at 9.5 magnitude, happened in Chile in 1960, and was followed by other earthquakes and a powerful tsunami. The initial shock and ensuing tsunami killed 490 to 5,700 people. Another 61 people were killed in Hawaii, 21 in the Philippines and 122 in Japan.

In 1964, a 9.2-magnitude earthquake struck Alaska, killing 139 people.

A magnitude 9.1 earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra in 2004, also affecting Thailand and Sri Lanka. About 230,000 people were declared dead or missing and the damage was estimated at $10 billion.

An earthquake of the same magnitude took place in Japan in 2011, causing an accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The disaster ultimately killed more than 18,000 people and injured at least 6,000.

In 1952, Kamchatka Peninsula was the epicenter of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, the fifth strongest on record.