Aftermath of an earthquake in Russia
Credit: Reuters Photo
A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered 4-metre (13-foot) tsunami waves and sparked evacuation orders in Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday.
The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard - devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 - was ordered to evacuate.
In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the US Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached. "Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected," the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said on X.
No major waves were seen along the western-most of the major Hawaiian islands just before sunset when the first tsunami was expected to hit, live footage showed.
Tsunami waves earlier struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said.
"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful quake to hit the region since 1952.
Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and centred 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000.
It revised the magnitude up from 8.0 earlier, and reported a series of strong aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.9.
A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky said the shaking rumbled for several minutes.
"I decided to leave the building," said Yaroslav, 25. "It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least 3 minutes.”
Follow live updates of the earthquake here.
Warnings across the Pacific
Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people.
Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said.
Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed scores of people on the northern island of Hokkaido on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the beating sun, as fishing boats left harbours to avoid potential damage from the incoming waves. Automaker Nissan Motor suspended operations at certain domestic factories in Japan to ensure employee safety, Kyodo news agency reported.
Three tsunami waves had been recorded in Japan, the largest of 60cm (24 inches), officials said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there were no injuries or damage reported so far, and no irregularities at any nuclear plants.
The US Tsunami Warning System also warned of "hazardous tsunami waves" spreading across the Pacific.
Waves reaching more than 3 metres were possible along some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands and Ecuador, while waves of 1-3 metres were possible in countries including Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands, it said.
Smaller waves were possible along coastlines across much of the Pacific, including the US West Coast.
"Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii," US President Donald Trump said in a social media post.
"A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States."
Live video footage broadcast by Hawaii News Now, KHLN-TV, showed no major changes in the surf at Hanalei Bay on the northern coast of Kauai island around the estimated arrival time of the first expected tsunami at 7:10 pm (0510 GMT).
A separate live aerial shot of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu showed a normally bustling shoreline devoid of any people, an indication that tourists and residents there were heeding the evacuation warnings.
'Ring of fire'
Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia’s TASS state news agency.
"Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,” Melnikov said. Power to the Sakhalin region had been cut off due to damage to the electricity grid, Russia's RIA news agency said, citing the regional governor.
Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest quake to hit the region since 1952.
"However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude," said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram.
“Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.”