A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, leading to a tsunami warning in the Pacific Ocean. The earthquake’s epicentre was located along the Kamchatka coast, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
According to the USGS, dangerous tsunami waves could hit the coasts of Russia and Japan within three hours.
The earthquake was shallow, only 19.3 km deep, and was located about 125 km from Petropavlovsk, near Avacha Bay. Earlier, the USGS had reported the quake as 8.0 but later updated it to 8.8.
Videos from the area have appeared on social media, showing strong shaking inside buildings and damage in several places. In one video, furniture in a home is seen shaking heavily during the quake. Another video captures the exact moment the earthquake was detected at a Russian seismic center, setting off an alarm.
In response, U.S. officials issued a tsunami advisory for Alaska, while Japan’s weather agency raised its tsunami warning, expecting waves up to 3 meters (around 10 feet). According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, the waves were expected to hit between 10:00 am and 11:30 am along the country’s Pacific coast.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video on Telegram that today’s earthquake was very serious and the strongest in decades. He mentioned that no one was hurt, based on early reports, but a kindergarten was damaged.
Due to the tsunami threat, people in the town of Severo-Kurilsk (south of the peninsula) were ordered to evacuate, according to Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko.
Russia’s Emergency Services in Kamchatka said a tsunami wave up to 32 cm (1 foot) could reach the coast.
The Japan Weather Agency said it expected tsunami waves up to 1 metre (about 3.3 feet) to hit many coastal areas starting around 1:00 AM GMT.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also warned of dangerous tsunami waves that could reach parts of Russia and Japan within three hours. A tsunami watch was also announced for Guam and other Micronesian islands.
Kamchatka and Russia’s Far East are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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