A powerful magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering tsunami waves across the Pacific and prompting mass evacuations from Russia to Japan, Hawaii, and parts of the Americas.
The quake, one of the strongest ever recorded in the region, struck near Petropavlovsk in Russia’s sparsely populated Far East. Authorities confirmed a tsunami flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, forcing the evacuation of around 2,000 residents. Waves up to four metres (12 feet) were also reported in the Elizovsky district. Several people were injured, though none seriously.
In Japan, a 1.3-metre (4.3 feet) tsunami reached a port in Iwate Prefecture at 1:52 pm local time, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which warned of waves up to three metres (9.8 feet) along the Pacific coast. Nearly two million people were advised to evacuate.
Authorities in Russia’s Sakhalin region declared a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands, with full evacuations reported. Videos on Russian social media showed buildings inundated by seawater.
Across the Pacific, tsunami warnings and beach advisories were issued in the U.S., Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, and French Polynesia. In Hawaii, sirens sounded across Honolulu as residents and tourists rushed to higher ground. Honolulu’s mayor urged people to seek shelter on upper floors or inland. “It is not a regular wave,” said Governor Josh Green. “It will actually kill you.”
The U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers said waves over three metres could hit parts of Ecuador, Hawaii, and Russia, while smaller waves were likely in Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Australia.
Back in Japan, emergency alerts were issued nationwide. At Inage Beach in Chiba, police sealed off the waterfront. Affected areas, including the Fukushima nuclear plant — devastated in the 2011 disaster — saw temporary evacuations of workers. No injuries or damage were reported in Japan by early afternoon.
In Taiwan, hotel staff advised guests to stay away from beaches. In Palau, authorities ordered evacuations along the coast. Tsunami alerts were also pushed to mobile phones in parts of California.
Wednesday’s quake was the most powerful in the Kamchatka region since 1952, and at least six significant aftershocks — including one of magnitude 6.9 — have since rattled the area. Seismologists warn more aftershocks are possible.
AFP
