7.7-magnitude quake hits Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the Commander Islands off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East, the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Science reported Tuesday.

The epicenter was some 233 kilometers away from the Nikolskoye settlement located on Bering Island, one of the Commander Islands, at a depth of some 48.3 kilometers.

This quake was followed by numerous aftershocks, including several above magnitude 5.0.

The population of the Nikolskoye settlement had been warned of tsunami. There were no immediate reports of casualties or property destruction.

The Commander Islands are a group of volcanic islands, including Bering Island, Medny Island and fifteen smaller others.