MOSCOW – A volcano has erupted following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s east coast, spurting a column of ash miles into the air, according to state-run media.

The Shiveluch volcano is around 280 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city with a population of about 180,000 that lies in Russia’s eastern region of Kamchatka. “According to visual evaluations, the ash column is rising as high as 8 kilometers (5 miles) above the sea level,” TASS reported Sunday morning local time, adding the volcano had released a gush of lava. There are no reports of people injured, TASS said.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s epicenter was about 55 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and had a depth of about 30 miles. No “major damage” was caused by the quake, TASS reported, however, “buildings are now being examined for potential damage, with special attention paid to social facilities.” The Russian Emergencies Ministry did not issue a tsunami warning due to the tremor, TASS reported. Earlier, the US Tsunami Warning System had warned that “hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300km [approx 186 miles] of the epicenter along the coasts of Russia.” (CNN)…[+]