A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit the region of the Sea of Okhotsk early Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, but no casualties were reported.
The epicentre of the quake, at a depth of 605 kilometres, was said to be 384 kilometres (239 miles) west-northwest of the Russian far eastern city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. It occurred at 0212 GMT, the USGS said.
No casualties, damage or threat of tsunami was reported, Russian emergency situations ministry officials in Kamchatka said as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.
However, tremors of up to 4.0 on the Richter scale were felt in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, forcing people to briefly leave their homes.
© 2008 AFP
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