Moscow – A significant earthquake registering a magnitude of 6.4 occurred in Russia’s Altai Republic, located in southern Siberia, early Saturday morning. According to information from Russian seismologists, the quake struck at 8:48 a.m. local time (0148 GMT), as reported by the state news agency Interfax, which cited the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The tremors from the earthquake were felt in surrounding regions as well, raising concerns among residents.

In the aftermath of the quake, regional leader Andrei Turchak updated the public via Telegram, stating that, thankfully, there were no reported casualties. However, he announced the implementation of a “high-alert regime,” which involved the cancellation of public events and potential issues with the water supply for areas near the epicenter of the seismic activity.

Turchak shared that preliminary evaluations suggested some minor damage might have occurred in certain locations, yet he refuted claims of extensive destruction that had been spreading on social media platforms. In his communication, he urged residents to depend only on information from confirmed sources and advised everyone to remain calm during this period of uncertainty.