PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, August 1. /TASS/. Two seismic shocks with a magnitude of 5.5 and an intensity of 3 were recorded in Russia’s Kamchatka Territory at approximately 11:31 a.m. and 11:34 a.m. Moscow time (8:31 p.m. and 8:34 p.m. local time), the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said.
The epicenter of the first tremor was located 207 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of about 43 km, while the second was 116 km away. Notably, one of them was relatively near the Kamchatka Peninsula coastline, according to the agency's Telegram channel.
The agency states that their preliminary intensity is assessed at 3 points. These tremors have been among the most noticeable following the main earthquake.
Ten minutes later, an additional aftershock with a magnitude of 5 was detected.
Aftershocks have been happening roughly every 10-15 minutes over the past few hours, with no reduction in frequency, the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported.
A major earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka on the morning of July 30, marking the strongest seismic event in the area since 1952. According to official data, the quake had a magnitude of 8.8, while the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service recorded it at 8.7. The main quake was followed by multiple aftershocks measuring magnitude 5.0 or higher.
The regional Health Ministry reported one person injured. Authorities in Kamchatka Territory declared a high-alert regime, while the Severo-Kurilsky District of Sakhalin Region imposed a state of emergency. The earthquake triggered a tsunami in the Pacific Ocean, prompting alerts from Japan, the United States, and the Philippines.