Massive 8.7-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Russia’s Far East, Triggers Tsunami
A powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, resulting in a tsunami measuring up to 4 metres in height and leading to large-scale evacuations.
The massive tremor hit the Far Eastern region of Russia near the Kamchatka Peninsula, producing tsunami waves of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 feet), according to regional emergency minister Sergei Lebedev, as quoted by Reuters. He further urged residents to move away from the coastline for their safety.
As per the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 19.3 km (12 miles) and was located approximately 125 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city with a population of around 1.65 lakh (165,000) situated along Avacha Bay. The USGS initially reported the quake as magnitude 8.0 but later revised it upward to 8.7.
The Japan Meteorological Agency also heightened its warning level, stating that tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (10 feet) were likely to reach major coastal areas beginning around 0100 GMT. Public broadcaster NHK reported that evacuation instructions had been issued by authorities for certain regions.
Meanwhile, the US Tsunami Warning System released an alert indicating the possibility of “hazardous tsunami waves” reaching parts of the coastlines of Russia, Japan, and Hawaii within the following three hours.
A tsunami watch was also declared for Guam, a US island territory, along with other islands in Micronesia.
In response to the tsunami danger, evacuation orders were issued for the small town of Severo-Kurilsk, situated south of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
