A strong 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia caused devastating tsunami waves.
According to Russia’s Emergency Minister, after the earthquake, tsunami waves of three to four meters were observed in several locations around the Kamchatka Peninsula. Although the precise number of injuries is still unknown, the Guardian says that multiple persons were hurt.
An advisory for tsunamis has been issued throughout the Pacific region in anticipation of additional tsunami activity. In reaction to the threat, emergency alerts have been issued in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
The United States has also warned of tsunamis in the coastal states of Washington, Oregon, and California, according to the Observer. Alaska and British Columbia, Canada, are also on watch.
The epicentre of the earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, was roughly 19 kilometres deep and 136 kilometres east of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The ensuing seismic energy was strong enough to produce substantial tsunami waves because of the earthquake’s relatively shallow depth.
Following severe shaking, Governor Valery Limarenko of the far-eastern Sakhalin region reported that the settlement of Severo-Kurilsk is being evacuated. Emergency personnel are aggressively helping locals relocate to safer regions, according to the Guardian.
Authorities along the Pacific Rim are still keeping a careful eye on the situation because more tsunami waves and aftershocks could yet occur.
