Earthquake rattles Kamchatka, Russia

Strong earthquake shakes the remote Russian peninsula

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the remote Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia on Saturday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake hit at a depth of 10.8 miles (17.4 kilometers) beneath the surface and was centered about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the town of Nikolskoye, which is located on the northern tip of the peninsula.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, but the quake was felt across the peninsula, including in the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, located about 400 miles (640 kilometers) to the south.

Kamchatka is a seismically active region, and earthquakes are common. The peninsula is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped region around the Pacific Ocean that is home to about 90% of the world's earthquakes.

The last major earthquake to hit Kamchatka was a magnitude 7.9 quake in 2006, which caused widespread damage and injured dozens of people.

The USGS estimates that there is a 2% chance of a larger earthquake, magnitude 6.1 or greater, occurring in the region within the next week.