TSUNAMI alerts were issued in various countries following a string of powerful earthquakes in the Pacific.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of a tsunami threat to Russia following three earthquakes – with the strongest having a magnitude of 7.4.
google mapsPetropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, with a population of 180,000, sits on the Kamchatka Peninsula[/caption]
USGSThe epicentre of one of the earthquakes off the coast of Kamchatka[/caption]
The largest quake hit around 89 miles east of east of the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – 12 miles below the seabed.
The city on the Kamchatka Peninsula has a population of 180,000 – the biggest area at risk.
A slightly smaller earthquake of 6.7 struck just minutes earlier, along with a third 5.0 magnitude quake.
There were fears Hawaii would also be impacted – but an island-wide tsunami warning was later withdrawn.
Alerts were also issued for Guam and American Samoa, but those too have now been lifted.
Later, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no longer a danger of tsunami waves in Russia.
The USGS had warned of possible “hazardous tsunami waves” within 300 kilometres of the epicentre in the Pacific.
And residents in Russia had been urged to get to higher ground.
There were no immediate reports of casualties following the earthquakes.
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