A massive magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, generating tsunami waves up to 4 meters (13 feet), damaging buildings, and prompting evacuation warnings across Russia’s eastern coast and much of Japan, officials said.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov called it “the strongest in decades” in a video message on Telegram, noting that a kindergarten had sustained damage. Regional emergency minister Sergei Lebedev confirmed tsunami waves of 3 to 4 meters had been recorded and urged residents to move inland from the coastline.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake was shallow, occurring at a depth of 19.3 kilometers (12 miles), with its epicenter located 126 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city with around 165,000 residents. The magnitude was initially recorded as 8.0 but was later revised to 8.7.
In Japan, the Meteorological Agency upgraded its tsunami warning, anticipating waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) to hit coastal areas from around 0100 GMT. NHK reported government-ordered evacuations in some regions. Video footage showed residents and factory workers in Hokkaido fleeing to higher ground.
“Please evacuate quickly to higher ground and away from the coast,” a newscaster urged on NHK.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also issued alerts for hazardous tsunami waves potentially affecting the coasts of Russia, Japan, Alaska, and Hawaii within three hours of the quake. A tsunami watch was placed on Guam and parts of Micronesia.
Hawaii’s Department of Emergency Management issued evacuation orders in some areas, warning: “Take action! Destructive tsunami waves expected.”
Evacuations were also ordered in Severo-Kurilsk, a town south of Kamchatka, according to Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko. Several people were injured during the quake, said regional health minister Oleg Melnikov. Injuries included falls during evacuation and one person who jumped from a window. A woman was also hurt inside the new airport terminal. All patients were reported to be in stable condition.
The Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences described the quake as extremely powerful but said the shaking was less intense than expected due to specific characteristics of the epicenter. Aftershocks are ongoing, but no stronger tremors are anticipated, they added.
Kamchatka, like much of Russia’s Far East, lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a geologically active zone known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
