One of the strongest earthquakes in recent memory hit off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday morning. The quake was initially measured at magnitude 8.0 but later upgraded to 8.7 by the US Geological Survey. It struck at a shallow depth of 19.3 km, around 125 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city with a population of around 165,000 along the Avacha Bay coastline.
"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," said Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov in a statement posted on Telegram. He added, "According to preliminary information there were no injuries, but a kindergarten was damaged."
The Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations confirmed that tsunami waves measuring 3 to 4 metres had been recorded in parts of the Kamchatka region following the quake.
The governor of Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region has also urged residents avoid the coastline after a powerful earthquake prompted authorities to issue a tsunami alert.
"A tsunami warning has been issued, and the strength of the wave is being determined. I urge everyone to stay away from the coastline in tsunami-prone areas and to follow announcements on loudspeakers," governor Vladimir Solodov said on Telegram.
Earthquake today: Tsunami alerts and evacuations follow
Authorities in the Sakhalin region swiftly ordered the evacuation of residents in the small town of Severo-Kurilsk. Governor Valery Limarenko confirmed the decision via Telegram after the tsunami threat became clear. Emergency services in Kamchatka also issued statements warning that waves of up to 32 cm could hit the region’s eastern coast.
In Japan, the Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory after the earthquake struck. It warned of waves reaching up to 1 metre on its Pacific coastline. The agency said the quake had occurred at 8:25 a.m. local time and estimated the magnitude at 8.0.
Despite the size of the tremor, Japan's NHK reported it was only mildly felt in Hokkaido, the country's northernmost major island, about 250 kilometres away from the epicentre. No damage had been reported in Japan at the time of publishing.
New Zealand's disaster management agency warned on Wednesday that the country's coastal areas could expect "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore", following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake in Russia.
In a national advisory alert, Civil Defence New Zealand said there was no immediate need to evacuate but said citizens should stay away from beaches and shore areas.
Tsunami warnings expand across the Pacific basin
The US Tsunami Warning System issued an alert just hours after the quake, warning of "hazardous tsunami waves" expected along some parts of the Russian and Japanese coastlines. The alerts didn’t stop there. Watches and warnings were issued for Guam, Micronesia, and the US West Coast.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska placed parts of the Aleutian Islands under immediate warning. Other alerts covered coastal areas in California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. A tsunami watch extended to the broader Pacific region, including Alaska’s southern panhandle.
According to the US Tsunami Warning System:
Shinichi Sakai, a seismologist at the University of Tokyo, told NHK that such quakes can cause dangerous tsunamis even at long distances if the epicentre is shallow. He noted, "A distant earthquake can still cause a tsunami here if it’s shallow and powerful enough."
Japan, like Kamchatka, lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly active seismic zone known for producing frequent and powerful earthquakes. The region constantly faces the risk of tsunamis due to its tectonic setting.
Several people sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister told Russia’s TASS state news agency.
"Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,” Melnikov said.
“All patients are currently in satisfactory condition, and no serious injuries have been reported so far.”
The Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said it was a very powerful earthquake.
"However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude," it said in a video on Telegram.
“Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.”
A volatile region with history
This isn’t the first time Kamchatka has felt the impact of major seismic activity. Earlier in July, five significant earthquakes struck near the peninsula, the strongest registering at magnitude 7.4. That quake occurred 144 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 20 km.
Going further back, on 4 November 1952, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Kamchatka caused large-scale tremors and sent 9.1-metre waves crashing into Hawaii. Remarkably, no fatalities were reported despite the scale of destruction.
Wednesday's quake has again brought global attention to the volatility of the Pacific Rim. While no casualties have been confirmed so far, the scale of the tremor and the extent of tsunami alerts reflect the serious potential risks for countries and territories across the region.
Emergency response teams remain on standby, and monitoring continues.
"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," said Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov in a statement posted on Telegram. He added, "According to preliminary information there were no injuries, but a kindergarten was damaged."
The Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations confirmed that tsunami waves measuring 3 to 4 metres had been recorded in parts of the Kamchatka region following the quake.
The governor of Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region has also urged residents avoid the coastline after a powerful earthquake prompted authorities to issue a tsunami alert.
"A tsunami warning has been issued, and the strength of the wave is being determined. I urge everyone to stay away from the coastline in tsunami-prone areas and to follow announcements on loudspeakers," governor Vladimir Solodov said on Telegram.
Earthquake today: Tsunami alerts and evacuations follow
Authorities in the Sakhalin region swiftly ordered the evacuation of residents in the small town of Severo-Kurilsk. Governor Valery Limarenko confirmed the decision via Telegram after the tsunami threat became clear. Emergency services in Kamchatka also issued statements warning that waves of up to 32 cm could hit the region’s eastern coast.
In Japan, the Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory after the earthquake struck. It warned of waves reaching up to 1 metre on its Pacific coastline. The agency said the quake had occurred at 8:25 a.m. local time and estimated the magnitude at 8.0.
Despite the size of the tremor, Japan's NHK reported it was only mildly felt in Hokkaido, the country's northernmost major island, about 250 kilometres away from the epicentre. No damage had been reported in Japan at the time of publishing.
New Zealand's disaster management agency warned on Wednesday that the country's coastal areas could expect "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore", following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake in Russia.
In a national advisory alert, Civil Defence New Zealand said there was no immediate need to evacuate but said citizens should stay away from beaches and shore areas.
Tsunami warnings expand across the Pacific basin
The US Tsunami Warning System issued an alert just hours after the quake, warning of "hazardous tsunami waves" expected along some parts of the Russian and Japanese coastlines. The alerts didn’t stop there. Watches and warnings were issued for Guam, Micronesia, and the US West Coast.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska placed parts of the Aleutian Islands under immediate warning. Other alerts covered coastal areas in California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. A tsunami watch extended to the broader Pacific region, including Alaska’s southern panhandle.
According to the US Tsunami Warning System:
- South Korea, North Korea, and Taiwan may see wave heights below 0.3 metres
- The Philippines, Marshall Islands, Palau, Kosrae, and Chuuk may experience waves between 0.3 and 1 metre
- Guam, Hawaii, and parts of Japan may see waves ranging from 1 to 3 metres
- Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and sections of the Russian coastline may face waves exceeding 3 metres.
- 3-meter waves could hit Ecuador after Russia earthquake
Shinichi Sakai, a seismologist at the University of Tokyo, told NHK that such quakes can cause dangerous tsunamis even at long distances if the epicentre is shallow. He noted, "A distant earthquake can still cause a tsunami here if it’s shallow and powerful enough."
Japan, like Kamchatka, lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly active seismic zone known for producing frequent and powerful earthquakes. The region constantly faces the risk of tsunamis due to its tectonic setting.
Several people sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister told Russia’s TASS state news agency.
"Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,” Melnikov said.
“All patients are currently in satisfactory condition, and no serious injuries have been reported so far.”
The Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said it was a very powerful earthquake.
"However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude," it said in a video on Telegram.
“Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.”
A volatile region with history
This isn’t the first time Kamchatka has felt the impact of major seismic activity. Earlier in July, five significant earthquakes struck near the peninsula, the strongest registering at magnitude 7.4. That quake occurred 144 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 20 km.
Going further back, on 4 November 1952, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Kamchatka caused large-scale tremors and sent 9.1-metre waves crashing into Hawaii. Remarkably, no fatalities were reported despite the scale of destruction.
Wednesday's quake has again brought global attention to the volatility of the Pacific Rim. While no casualties have been confirmed so far, the scale of the tremor and the extent of tsunami alerts reflect the serious potential risks for countries and territories across the region.
Emergency response teams remain on standby, and monitoring continues.
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