Massive quake hits Russia, tsunami warnings issued for Japan and US

A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, prompting widespread tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean, from Japan and the Philippines to the US West Coast.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s epicenter was located 136 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 20.7 kilometers. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the region since 1952.

Following the quake, tsunami waves as high as 3 to 4 meters were observed along parts of Kamchatka. In Severo-Kurilsk, a 4-meter wave damaged several buildings, and multiple people were injured. 

Local authorities have ordered evacuations and urged residents to move to higher ground.

A school wall collapsed during the tremor, though no casualties were reported as the building was empty. Officials warn that aftershocks up to magnitude 7.5 are expected over the coming weeks.

Also read: Over 144 people killed as earthquakes hit Myanmar, Bangkok

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged citizens in coastal areas to evacuate immediately, warning that second or third tsunami waves could be even more destructive.

The Japanese government has formed an emergency task force, while the National Weather Service confirmed that US state Hawaii could experience tsunami waves within hours.

Geologists noted that the quake’s shallow depth increases the risk of severe tsunami activity. The region has been seismically active this month, with five earlier earthquakes in early July, the largest measuring 7.4 magnitude.

Experts fear that tsunami waves mirror those of the 1952 Kamchatka earthquake, which triggered 30-foot waves in Hawaii.

Authorities across the Pacific are on high alert as emergency measures and evacuations continue.