Tsunami hits Russia’s Kuril Islands, Japan’s Hokkaido after magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Kamchatka; Alerts in US, New Zealand

A tsunami has struck coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, according to a report by news agency AP on Wednesday.

The development followed a powerful magnitude-8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, which prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to issue a tsunami warning. The agency had earlier predicted waves up to 3 metres (9.8 feet) could hit Japan’s Pacific coast between 10:00 am and 11:30 am (local time).

According to Geophysical Survey, the 8.7 quake is the strongest to hit the Kamchatka region since 1952.


After the 8.7 magnitude earthquake in Russia: How far could the tsunami reach and who's most at risk?

As a precaution, workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant were evacuated after the tsunami warning, according to the plant operator.

However, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed there were no irregularities reported at any nuclear facilities so far.

One of the strongest earthquakes in recent history struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, causing tsunami waves and widespread alerts across the Pacific region.

The quake, recorded at magnitude 8.8 by the US Geological Survey (USGS), hit at a depth of 20.7 kilometres around 119 km from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It struck at 8:25 a.m. local time in Japan.

Tsunami Hits Russia and Japan

Tsunami waves were reported on Russia’s Kuril Islands, particularly in Severo-Kurilsk, where residents moved to higher ground. Governor Valery Limarenko said everyone was safe and would stay on elevated areas until further notice.

In Japan, a wave of around 30 centimetres reached Nemuro, a city on the eastern coast of Hokkaido. Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued tsunami alerts soon after the quake.

Evacuations, Power Outages in Russia

People in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky rushed out of their homes without shoes or coats, according to Russia’s state news agency Tass. The city, home to about 180,000 people, experienced shaking that toppled furniture and cut off mobile and power services.

Evacuations were also underway on Sakhalin Island, and emergency crews were on high alert.

Warnings Across the Pacific

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said waves of 1 to 3 metres could reach coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan, and the Solomon Islands, while waves above 3 metres were possible in parts of Russia and Ecuador.

Hawaii’s authorities activated tsunami sirens Tuesday evening, warning residents to act quickly. The PTWC said the waves could hit all Hawaiian islands from around 7 p.m. local time.

Alerts in Alaska, U.S. West Coast, and New Zealand

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for parts of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, and a watch for California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.

New Zealand also issued a marine warning, urging people to stay off beaches, move away from harbours and avoid coastal waters due to “strong and unusual currents.”

One of the Strongest in Decades

This quake is believed to be the most powerful anywhere in the world since the 9.0-magnitude Japan earthquake in 2011, which triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Only a few earthquakes have ever measured stronger than today’s 8.8 magnitude.

In recent weeks, the Kamchatka region has experienced several strong quakes, including a 7.4 magnitude tremor earlier in July.

Inputs from agencies