Russia: No damage, casualties immediately reported after magnitude-7.0 earthquake occurs near Kamchatka Aug. 18, prompting brief tsunami threat /update 1

Authorities have not immediately reported any damage or casualties in connection with a magnitude-7.0 offshore earthquake that occurred near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at around 07:10 Aug. 18. Officials may, however, report damage and casualties over the coming hours. The epicenter was about 102 km (63 miles) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The temblor occurred at a depth of about 29 km (18 miles), and strong shaking was probably felt on parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula closest to the epicenter as well as moderate shaking in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The US National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, has updated its earlier tsunami threat forecast, clarifying that "there is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake."

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible where shaking occurred.