Russia 8.2 Quake Prompts Tsunami Alert

Russia was hit by a magnitude 8.2 quake on Friday afternoon, prompting emergency agencies to briefly issue a tsunami alert.

Russia 8.2 Quake Epicenter (Image Credit: USGS)

The tsunami warning was issued for the Sakhalin and Kuril islands, urging residents to seek higher ground for safety. The alert was lifted by authorities shortly afterward.

There were no casualties or substantial damage from the quake, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the temblor struck at 2:44 p.m. UTC at a depth of 608.9 kilometers (378.4 miles). The quake's epicenter was located in the Sea of Okhotsk, 362 kilometers (225 miles) west southwest of Esso, Russia.

The quake was felt in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the main city of nearby Kamchatka peninsula and home to a nuclear submarine base, and on Sakhalin island, which the location of Russia's largest liquefied natural gas project.

Minor tremors were reported as far away as Moscow and Northern Japan.