VLADIVOSTOK - A 6.8 magnitude aftershock struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, the regional branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations announced on social media.
The quake, which occurred at 17:37 local time (0537 GMT), was 277 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional capital, at a depth of 26 km.
According to the Kamchatka Tsunami Warning and Monitoring Center, tsunami waves generated by the quake are not expected to exceed 19 cm.
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Despite the limited wave height, local emergency authorities have urged residents to stay away from the coastline as a precaution.
The ministry also advised vessels in coastal waters, including those anchored in open roadsteads or bays with wide entrances, to head out to sea beyond the 50-meter isobath and to sail perpendicular to the coastline.
Krasheninnikov Volcano erupts
Also on Sunday, the Krasheninnikov Volcano on Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted for the first time in recorded history, local authorities said.
The eruption began at 2:50 local time Sunday (1650 GMT Saturday), sending ash plumes up to 3-4 km above sea level, Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) said on its Telegram Channel.
The ash plume has drifted eastward toward the Pacific Ocean, officials said. No inhabited settlements lie in the path of the ash cloud, and there have been no reports of ashfall in populated areas. An orange aviation warning was issued.
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Located about 200 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and 13 km south of Lake Kronotskoye, Krasheninnikov is part of the Eastern Volcanic Zone of Kamchatka. Earlier, the regional branch of the Emergency Ministry warned of possible ash emissions of 6-10 km from several other active Kamchatka volcanoes. Residents and tourists have been advised to avoid traveling within 10 km of these volcanoes' summits.
The eruption came just days after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula. The quake triggered tsunami warnings and prompted a state of emergency in parts of Kamchatka and the Severo-Kurilsk district.
