Just hours after a massive earthquake hit the waters near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, a volcano in the same area erupted on Wednesday, according to Russian scientists.

Klyuchevskoy Volcano Comes to Life

The eruption came from Klyuchevskoy, the highest active volcano across both Europe and Asia. This volcano stands at around 4,700 meters (15,000 feet) tall.

Volcanic activity here is not rare. In fact, Klyuchevskoy has erupted at least 18 times since 2000, according to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program.

“The Klyuchevskoy is erupting right now,” said Russia’s Geophysical Survey on Telegram, as quoted by AFP. They also shared dramatic photos of bright orange lava lighting up the volcano’s summit.

“Red-hot lava is observed flowing down the western slope. There is a powerful glow above the volcano and explosions,” the post added.

Earthquake Hits Before the Eruption

Earlier on Wednesday, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka in far eastern Russia. It triggered evacuations and tsunami alerts across parts of the Pacific region, including areas close to Japan.

The region stayed on high alert for nearly 11 hours. However, authorities later lifted the tsunami warning after confirming that the earthquake did not produce massive waves near land. The area affected is sparsely populated, which helped prevent serious damage.

No Serious Damage or Injuries

Despite the intensity of both natural events, no casualties or major destruction were reported. The nearest large city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, lies hundreds of kilometers away from the volcano. So far, the eruption has not caused harm to communities.