The Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka has erupted after a strong earthquake struck on Russia's eastern coast on Saturday, state media reported Sunday. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Kamchatka Peninsula, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of about 180,000. The quake struck at a depth of 71 kilometers (44 miles). The Russian state news agency TASS reported that the quake did not cause “serious damage,” but that “buildings are being examined for potential damage.”
The Russian Emergencies Ministry did not issue a tsunami warning. Earlier on Saturday, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu assessed the tsunami threat to coastlines located up to 300 km from the earthquake's epicenter.
The Shiveluch volcano, which erupted as a result of the earthquake, threw a column of ash eight kilometers into the air and released a stream of lava, the TASS news agency reported on Sunday morning. It added that there were no reports of injuries.
Eruption of Shiveluch volcano after Saturday's earthquake Photo courtesy of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences VS FEB RAS/APEastNews
Shiveluch is located about 450 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Kamchatka. It is the northernmost volcano on this Russian peninsula.
Main image source: VS FEB RAS/APEastNews