Tsunami Warning Issued After 7.4 and 6.7 Magnitude Quakes Rock Russian Coast

International News: On July 20, 2025, two powerful earthquakes created panic near the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East of Russia. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has issued a tsunami warning following these earthquakes. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake was of magnitude 7.4, which occurred at a depth of 20 kilometers in the sea, 144 kilometers east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The population of this city is about 180,000.

Threat of second earthquake and tsunami

A few minutes earlier, another earthquake of magnitude 6.7 was recorded in the same area. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) measured the quakes as 6.6 and 6.7, both at a depth of 10 kilometers. Variations in the magnitude and depth of earthquakes in initial measurements are common. PTWC warned that tsunami waves could rise within a radius of 300 kilometers from the epicenter. 

Local administration alert: no casualties

No casualties or major damages have been reported so far. The local administration has started inspecting buildings and has advised residents to stay away from coastal areas or move to higher places (30-40 m height or 2-3 km inland). 

Twin quakes jolt Kamchatka region

The Kamchatka region is seismically active. On 4 November 1952, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck here, which generated tsunami waves up to 9.1 meters high in Hawaii, but there were no casualties. The current situation is being monitored, and aftershocks are expected. A few minutes earlier, another earthquake of magnitude 6.7 was recorded in the same area. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) measured the quakes as 6.6 and 6.7, both at a depth of 10 kilometers. Variations in the magnitude and depth of earthquakes in initial measurements are common. PTWC warned that tsunami waves could rise within a radius of 300 kilometers from the epicenter. 

Local administration alert: no casualties

No casualties or major damages have been reported so far. The local administration has started inspecting buildings and has advised residents to stay away from coastal areas or move to higher places (30-40 m height or 2-3 km inland). 

Historical context

The Kamchatka region is seismically active. On 4 November 1952, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck here, which generated tsunami waves up to 9.1 meters high in Hawaii, but there were no casualties. The current situation is being monitored, and aftershocks are expected.