8.7 Magnitude Earthquake Raises Global Concerns About Tsunami in the Pacific Ocean

SadaNews - A powerful earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula late Tuesday/Wednesday, resulting in tsunami waves that inundated coastal areas in the northern Kuril Islands. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported flooding in the city of Severo-Kurilsk and the evacuation of all 2,000 residents.

In Japan, authorities evacuated the Fukushima nuclear plant, while the first tsunami waves reached Hokkaido island at a height of 30 centimeters, amid warnings of subsequent, possibly larger waves that could reach up to 3 meters along the Pacific-facing coasts of the archipelago.

The Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents to stay away from the beaches and refrain from going to sea until the warning is lifted. Similar warnings were issued by authorities in Mexico and Indonesia for coastal residents.

The United States also issued tsunami warnings along the west coast, affecting the states of California, Oregon, Alaska, and the Hawaiian archipelago, with Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency urging residents to evacuate coastal areas immediately, warning of "destructive" waves.

This earthquake is the strongest in the region since 1952, with its epicenter located 19.3 kilometers deep and approximately 136 kilometers from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in eastern Russia, raising fears of widespread repercussions along the Pacific coasts.

The agency initially measured the earthquake's magnitude at 8.0 but later revised this figure.

According to the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center, tsunami waves threaten parts of the coasts of Alaska and the U.S. territory of Guam in the Pacific, as well as the coasts of Russia and Japan "within 3 hours."

The warning encompasses all U.S. coasts facing the Pacific, from Alaska to Hawaii and California, though the severity of the anticipated tsunami waves varies.

In Tokyo, Japanese authorities warned that high tide waves reaching up to 3 meters could hit the coasts of the archipelago facing the Pacific between 01:00 and 02:30 (UTC).

The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that "tsunami waves will strike the area repeatedly. Please do not go out to sea or approach the coast until the warning is lifted."

On July 20, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in the same area, followed by multiple aftershocks, but it did not cause major damage.

The Russian peninsula separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean is considered "one of the most seismically active areas in the world," according to the U.S. Geological Survey.