A powerful earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, prompting tsunami alerts across several Pacific regions. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 19.3 km, about 125 km southeast of Petropavlovsk along Avacha Bay.
Tsunami warnings have been issued for Russia, Japan, Alaska, Guam, and Micronesia. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) forecast waves as high as 3 metres (9.8 feet) along parts of its Pacific coastline, expected to arrive between 10:00 am and 11:30 am local time.
Footage circulating online showed intense tremors shaking furniture inside homes and damaging buildings. Despite the dramatic visuals, no casualties have been reported so far.
In response to the threat, authorities in the Russian town of Severo-Kurilsk ordered an evacuation. The Sakhalin Governor confirmed this precaution on Telegram. Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov described the quake as the most powerful in decades. While no injuries were reported, a local kindergarten sustained damage.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also projected “hazardous tsunami waves” for affected coastal areas within three hours of the quake. Russia’s emergency services warned of a possible 32 cm high wave reaching the Kamchatka coast.
The Kamchatka region and Russia’s Far East lie along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
