Powerful Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Alerts Across Pacific Regions
An 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuations in Russia, Japan, the U.S. west coast, and other parts of the Pacific.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), centered 126 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city in Russia’s Avacha Bay with a population of 165,000. The magnitude was later adjusted upward from an initial estimate of 8.0.
Early reports from Russia indicated damage in Kamchatka, with governor Vladimir Solodov calling it the region’s strongest quake in decades. A local kindergarten was reportedly damaged.
Sergei Lebedev, the regional emergency minister, confirmed tsunami waves between 3 and 4 meters in parts of Kamchatka, advising residents to move inland.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued alerts for dangerous waves expected within three hours along coastal areas of Russia, Japan, Alaska, and Hawaii. Warnings also extended to Guam and parts of Micronesia, with potential waves reaching up to 3 meters in Ecuador. In Hawaii, sirens urged people to leave coastal zones.
Japan’s meteorological agency initially predicted a 1-meter tsunami along its Pacific coast but later revised the estimate to 3 meters. Authorities instructed evacuations from Hokkaido to Wakayama Prefecture, warning that subsequent waves could be higher than the first.
The quake was faintly felt in Hokkaido, approximately 250 km (160 miles) from the epicenter, according to Japan’s NHK. The U.S. Geological Survey reaffirmed the quake’s depth at 19.3 km.
Broadcasts showed residents and factory workers in Hokkaido moving to elevated ground. NHK urged immediate evacuation for those near the coast.
Hawaii’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that the quake had generated a tsunami capable of affecting all Hawaiian islands.
Russian officials had not yet provided updates on Kamchatka’s overall situation by the time of reporting.
The National Tsunami Warning Center continued to monitor conditions.
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