Strong M6.2 earthquake hits near east coast of Kamchatka, Russia
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 struck near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia, at 12:42 UTC on January 22, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 52.2 km (32.4 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
Epicenter of M6.2 earthquake near east coast of Kamchatka, Russia on January 22, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 128 km (80 miles) south of Vilyuchinsk (population 25 204), 143 km (89 miles) south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (population 181 216), and 57 km (98 miles) south of Yelizovo (population 40 692), Russia.
65 000 people are estimated to have felt weak shaking and 201 000 light.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
This is the same region where a powerful M8.8 megathrust earthquake struck at 23:24 UTC on July 29, 2025 (11:24 local time on July 30). The quake ruptured a segment about 390 × 140 km (242 × 87 miles) along the Kuril–Kamchatka subduction zone.
It generated a Pacific-wide tsunami, with waves up to 4 m (13 feet) recorded in the Kuril Islands and 3–4 m (10–13 feet) along parts of Kamchatka’s eastern coast. Smaller waves of 0.3–1 m (1–3.3 feet) were observed across the Pacific, including Japan, Hawaii, and the U.S. West Coast.
Since that event, the region has remained highly active, with numerous aftershocks above M6.0. Today’s earthquake occurred within the same stress field and is considered part of the ongoing aftershock sequence of the 2025 megathrust event.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.2 earthquake near east coast of Kamchatka, Russia – USGS – January 22, 2026
2 M6.2 earthquake near east coast of Kamchatka, Russia – EMSC – January 22, 2026
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.