7.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Russia's far east Kamchatka region

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region, the US Geological Survey said. However, there were no immediate reports of any damage.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 127 kilometers (79 miles) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. According to USGS, the quake struck at 6:58 a.m. Friday local time and had a depth of 19.5 kms.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning System briefly issued a tsunami threat but later lifted it.

The initial quake was followed by a series of aftershocks of up to magnitude 5.8.