MOSCOW – A massive earthquake struck off coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, and it triggered tsunami waves across the Pacific, prompting widespread alerts from Japan to Mexico and New Zealand.
Initial tsunami waves struck coastal regions of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido shortly after sesmic acitivity at 8:25 am local time. Japan Met Office flagged waves up to 1.5 feet along the Pacific coastline, with officials warning that larger waves could still follow.
Russia reported localized flooding in Severo-Kurilsk and minor injuries in Kamchatka, though no fatalities have been confirmed. Communication services in the region were briefly interrupted but have since been restored.
In Japan, around million people were placed under evacuation advisories across 133 municipalities stretching from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Transportation services were disrupted, with ferry routes suspended and some rail lines delayed. Sendai Airport temporarily closed its runway as a precaution.
China also issued tsunami alert for parts of its eastern coast, including Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces, where wave heights of up to one meter (3.3 feet) are possible. The region is already bracing for Typhoon CoMay, expected to make landfall later Wednesday.
In the US, tsunami warnings and advisories were issued for coastal areas of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Wave heights are expected to range from less than one foot to as much as five feet in isolated locations.
Hawaiian authorities opened evacuation shelters across the islands, and late public transit services were suspended in Honolulu. Residents were urged to move inland and avoid the coastline.
In British Columbia, Canada, emergency officials warned of incoming waves along much of the province’s coast. Tofino and other communities were advised to evacuate low-lying areas near beaches and marinas.
Mexico’s Navy also issued a tsunami alert, forecasting waves between 30 and 100 centimeters (1 to 3.3 feet) along the country’s Pacific coast. The first waves were expected in the northern city of Ensenada, continuing southward to Chiapas throughout the morning.
US authorities said this was most powerful global earthquakes in over decade, and could cause devastating tsunami and other disaster.
