Tsunami Alert in Russia, Japan, US Live Updates, Kamchatka Earthquake Today: A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuations in several regions, according to local authorities and international monitoring agencies.
The quake, which was initially reported as magnitude 8.0 by the US Geological Survey (USGS), was later revised to 8.8.
It triggered tsunami waves reaching up to 4 metres (around 13 feet) in parts of Kamchatka, said Sergei Lebedev, the regional emergency situations minister. He urged residents to stay away from coastal areas amid the ongoing risk.
The tremor also prompted tsunami advisories across the Pacific. US authorities issued alerts for coastal areas of Alaska, while Hawaii was placed under a low-level tsunami watch.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami advisory, warning that waves as high as 3 metres could hit the country’s Pacific coastline.
“Tsunamis will strike repeatedly. Do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the warning is lifted,” the Japanese agency said. An earlier version of the advisory had forecast waves up to one metre in height.
