One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded hit Russia’s Far East, flooding a fishing port with waves from a tsunami, cutting power to a few areas and sending some panicked residents to flee buildings but causing only a few injuries. Regional authorities say they were well prepared for the 8.8-magnitude quake and subsequent waves. A state of emergency was declared but there was no major damage. The 1,200-kilometer (750-mile)-long peninsula nine time zones east of Moscow faces the Pacific Ocean on its east and the Sea of Okhotsk along its west coast. Called the “land of fire and ice,” Kamchatka is one of the most active volcanic regions on Earth, with about 300 volcanoes, with 29 of them active.
Russia’s Far East ‘land of fire and ice’ avoids major damage from earthquake and tsunami
