PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, July 31. /TASS/. A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern region of Kamchatka at about 2:35 a.m. on August 1 local time (2:35 p.m. GMT on July 31), the regional branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Service reported.

The epicenter of the aftershock was located in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 24 km, 239 km away from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This was one of the most powerful aftershocks following the massive quake that hit the region on Wednesday.

According to the service’s data, aftershocks with magnitudes ranging between 4 and 5.9 have been taking place every ten to 20 minutes for the past several hours, with their frequency gradually declining. According to observations, aftershocks were recorded every five to ten minutes in the first 24 hours after the initial earthquake.

A powerful earthquake struck off Kamchatka’s coast on the morning of July 30. According to the authorities, it measured at 8.8, becoming the strongest earthquake to hit the region since 1952. The Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Service estimated the magnitude of the quake at 8.7. The disaster left one person injured, the regional Health Ministry said. A state of high alert was declared in Kamchatka, while a state of emergency was declared in the Severo-Kurilsky District of the neighboring Sakhalin Region. The quake triggered a tsunami in the Pacific Ocean, which prompted the authorities in Japan, the US and the Philippines to issue tsunami warnings.