Massive 8.8 Earthquake Near Russia: Tsunami Warnings Issued Across Japan and the Pacific
Moscow, 30 July – (www.deccanlive.com): A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka region early this morning, prompting tsunami warnings for Japan, Russia, Alaska, Hawaii, and other Pacific regions.
According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, the quake struck at 8:25 a.m. local time, initially reported at 8.0 magnitude but later upgraded to 8.8. It occurred about 250 km off Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido at a depth of 19.3 km.
Authorities first warned of 1-meter-high waves, later updating the forecast to up to 3 meters, urging residents in coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi warned that subsequent tsunami waves could be more dangerous than the first.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake could generate strong tsunami waves across the Pacific, expected to reach Japan, Russia, and Hawaii within three hours. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also issued alerts for all Hawaiian islands.
Alaska’s Tsunami Warning Center extended alerts to Aleutian Islands, California, Oregon, Washington, and parts of Alaska’s coast.
Japan has set up an emergency task force to monitor the situation and coordinate responses. Experts warned that because the quake’s epicenter was relatively shallow, the risk of a large tsunami is high.
This comes weeks after a series of smaller quakes in the same region, the strongest measuring 7.4. Experts also cautioned that if the waves reach the scale of the 1952 Kamchatka earthquake, which caused 30-foot-high waves in Hawaii, the damage could be catastrophic.
