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The quake struck in an area close to the "Ring of Fire", an arc of fault lines that circle the Pacific Ocean which is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
A strong earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7 on the Richter Scale struck eastern Russia on Saturday, reports said. The tremor, which struck 109km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy had not caused any casualties or damage, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministry. It also ruled out any threat of tsunami.
The local branch of Russia's emergency situations ministry said the origin of the quake was located northwest of the regional capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
"The epicentre was located in the region of Yelizovo, 84 kilometres northwest of Yelizovo and 87 kilometres northwest of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky," the ministry was quoted as saying.
"Inhabitants of populated areas felt the tremor at magnitude of 5.0," it said, adding: "Preliminary information indicates the earthquake caused no damage or casualties." The Russian Academy of Sciences said on its website the first tremor was followed minutes later by a 5.2-magnitude aftershock.
The quake struck in an area close to the "Ring of Fire", an arc of fault lines that circle the Pacific Ocean which is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The National and Pacific Tsunami Warning Centers said there was no risk of a tsunami.
