One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, a magnitude 8.8, struck off Petropavlovsk on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunamis up to four meters (12 feet) high and evacuation orders from Hawaii to Japan.
Almost two million people in Japan were urged to move to higher ground as waves hit coastal towns, including Severo-Kurilsk, which saw its port area and fishing plant flooded. Footage on Russian state TV showed water sweeping debris and structures out to sea.
Hawaii’s famous Waikiki Beach fell silent as tsunami sirens sounded, causing traffic jams as residents fled low-lying areas. US President Donald Trump urged Americans to “stay strong and stay safe.”
The quake was the region’s most powerful since 1952 and among the 10 strongest ever recorded globally, according to the US Geological Survey. Aftershocks up to magnitude 7.5 were reported, rattling the Russian Far East.
Tsunami warnings, later downgraded in some places, extended to parts of Ecuador, Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Japan, and Australia, with waves of up to three meters possible in many regions.
Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, devastated by the 2011 tsunami, was evacuated as a precaution. Coastal communities across Taiwan, Palau, and French Polynesia also moved people away from shorelines.
So far, no major casualties have been reported, though minor injuries and local damage have occurred in Russia. Officials continue to warn of dangerous aftershocks and possible new waves overnight.
