Moscow, Russia — A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake has struck the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, triggering a tsunami with waves reaching up to four meters and prompting widespread evacuation orders along the Pacific coastline, including in Japan and the United States.
Russian authorities confirmed structural damage and injuries in the affected region. Residents of eastern Japan, which suffered a devastating tsunami in 2011, were urged to evacuate immediately.
“Today’s earthquake was serious — the strongest in the past ten years,” stated the Governor of Kamchatka via Telegram.
Sergei Lebedev, the regional emergency minister, confirmed that a tsunami between 3 and 4 meters had been recorded and urged, “everyone to stay away from the shore.”
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 19.3 kilometers, about 125 kilometers from Petropavlovsk, a city of approximately 165,000 residents.
In Japan, more than 1.9 million people were ordered to evacuate. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of possible tsunami waves up to 3 meters, with alerts stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Wakayama Prefecture in the south, covering hundreds of kilometers along the Pacific coastline.
In the United States, officials in Hawaii and California issued tsunami warnings, urging residents to stay away from beaches and low-lying areas. While no major damage is expected on U.S. soil, the Governor of Hawaii advised citizens to remain calm and cautious.
Emergency services across the region continue to monitor the situation closely as aftershocks are possible, and authorities are urging preparedness in case of further seismic activity.
