A powerful tsunami struck the coastal regions of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido following an 8.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, an initial tsunami wave measuring approximately 30 cm (about 1 foot) hit Nemuro on Hokkaido’s eastern coast.
Similarly, a tsunami wave reached Severo-Kurilsk, the primary settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, as confirmed by local governor Valery Limarenko.
He noted that residents were safe and had moved to higher ground, where they would remain until the tsunami threat subsided.
Tsunami warnings have also been issued for Indonesia and the Philippines.
In Japan, an evacuation advisory has been issued for over 900,000 people across 133 municipalities along the coastline.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan, as reported by the Associated Press, stated that no injuries or damages have been reported so far.
The Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences described the earthquake as the most powerful to strike the region since 1952.
“Given the scale of this event, we should expect strong aftershocks, possibly with magnitudes up to 7.5,” the Service stated.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) reported that the 8.7-magnitude earthquake occurred off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula but confirmed that no tsunami threat exists for India or the Indian Ocean.
In the Philippines, the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that Pacific coastal areas could experience tsunami waves of less than one meter (3.2 feet).
“The first tsunami waves are expected to arrive between 01:20 PM to 02:40 PM” on Wednesday (06:20 GMT Thursday to 07:40 GMT Thursday), the institute said, urging residents in affected provinces to avoid beaches and coastal areas.
US President Donald Trump issued a warning via social media, stating, “Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii.” He added, “A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States,” concluding with, “STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
Monitoring continues for potential aftershocks and further tsunami activity in the affected regions.
