VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake was registered off the coast of the Russian Far East Kamchatka Peninsula, authorities said on Friday.

"The quake was registered in the early hours of Friday. Its epicenter was located at the depth of around 40 kilometers, 300 kilometers to the south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky," a spokesperson of the regional branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

Rescuers and firefighters are examining buildings in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky after the strong earthquake, regional Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.

According to preliminary information, no damage or casualties have been reported, said the ministry.