Russia relieved as tsunami spares far east from major damage

Emergency service specialists inspecting a damaged building following an earthquake on Russia's far eastern Sakhalin Island. [AFP]

Russia lifted a tsunami alert on Wednesday after a massive quake and tsunami largely spared the country's sparsely populated far east from casualties and major damage.

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula earlier, prompting evacuations and tsunami alerts across parts of the Pacific coast.