Saturday, 02 August, 2025
A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, unleashing tsunami waves up to 4 metres (13 feet), damaging buildings, and prompting tsunami warnings and evacuations across the Pacific Ocean.
Several people were injured in the remote region, while Japan—still haunted by the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami—ordered evacuations along much of its eastern coastline.
"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of seismic activity," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video message posted on Telegram.
Tsunami waves between 3 and 4 metres were recorded in parts of Kamchatka, according to Sergei Lebedev, the region’s minister for emergency situations. He urged residents to move inland and stay away from coastal areas.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake was shallow—just 19.3 km (12 miles) deep—and located 119 km (74 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. The USGS initially recorded the magnitude as 8.0 but later revised it to 8.8. A strong 6.9 aftershock followed shortly after.
The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded its tsunami warning, forecasting waves of up to 3 metres (10 feet) to reach coastal regions around 0100 GMT. Public broadcaster NHK reported that the government had issued evacuation orders for multiple areas.
“Please evacuate immediately. Move to higher ground and stay away from the coast,” a newscaster urged viewers during NHK's emergency broadcast.
Television footage from Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido showed factory workers and residents fleeing to elevated areas overlooking the ocean.
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a wide-ranging alert, warning of "hazardous tsunami waves" expected within three hours. Waves exceeding 3 metres were forecast for parts of Russia and Ecuador, while waves between 1 and 3 metres could strike Japan, Hawaii, Chile, and the Solomon Islands. Smaller waves were expected along coastlines across much of the Pacific, including the western United States.
Hawaiian authorities ordered evacuations from vulnerable coastal zones. “Take action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,” the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management warned on X (formerly Twitter). Residents in low-lying areas were told to move to higher ground or to at least the fourth floor of a sturdy building.
In Kamchatka, several people were reported injured. Regional Health Minister Oleg Melnikov told Russia’s state news agency TASS that some individuals sustained injuries while fleeing buildings in panic. One person reportedly jumped from a window, while another was injured inside the terminal of a newly built airport.
“All patients are in stable condition, and no life-threatening injuries have been reported,” Melnikov confirmed.
The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the region since 1952.
Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Situations reported partial flooding at the port and a fish processing facility in Severo-Kurilsk on Sakhalin Island. Residents there have been safely evacuated.
"Due to the characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking was less intense than expected for a quake of this magnitude," explained Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service. "Aftershocks are ongoing and will likely remain strong, but no further major quakes are expected at this time. The situation is under control."
Kamchatka and Russia's Far East lie within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active belt known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, unleashing tsunami waves up to 4 metres (13 feet), damaging buildings, and prompting tsunami warnings and evacuations across the Pacific Ocean.
Several people were injured in the remote region, while Japan—still haunted by the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami—ordered evacuations along much of its eastern coastline.
"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of seismic activity," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video message posted on Telegram.
Tsunami waves between 3 and 4 metres were recorded in parts of Kamchatka, according to Sergei Lebedev, the region’s minister for emergency situations. He urged residents to move inland and stay away from coastal areas.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake was shallow—just 19.3 km (12 miles) deep—and located 119 km (74 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. The USGS initially recorded the magnitude as 8.0 but later revised it to 8.8. A strong 6.9 aftershock followed shortly after.
The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded its tsunami warning, forecasting waves of up to 3 metres (10 feet) to reach coastal regions around 0100 GMT. Public broadcaster NHK reported that the government had issued evacuation orders for multiple areas.
“Please evacuate immediately. Move to higher ground and stay away from the coast,” a newscaster urged viewers during NHK's emergency broadcast.
Television footage from Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido showed factory workers and residents fleeing to elevated areas overlooking the ocean.
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a wide-ranging alert, warning of "hazardous tsunami waves" expected within three hours. Waves exceeding 3 metres were forecast for parts of Russia and Ecuador, while waves between 1 and 3 metres could strike Japan, Hawaii, Chile, and the Solomon Islands. Smaller waves were expected along coastlines across much of the Pacific, including the western United States.
Hawaiian authorities ordered evacuations from vulnerable coastal zones. “Take action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,” the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management warned on X (formerly Twitter). Residents in low-lying areas were told to move to higher ground or to at least the fourth floor of a sturdy building.
In Kamchatka, several people were reported injured. Regional Health Minister Oleg Melnikov told Russia’s state news agency TASS that some individuals sustained injuries while fleeing buildings in panic. One person reportedly jumped from a window, while another was injured inside the terminal of a newly built airport.
“All patients are in stable condition, and no life-threatening injuries have been reported,” Melnikov confirmed.
The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the region since 1952.
Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Situations reported partial flooding at the port and a fish processing facility in Severo-Kurilsk on Sakhalin Island. Residents there have been safely evacuated.
"Due to the characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking was less intense than expected for a quake of this magnitude," explained Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service. "Aftershocks are ongoing and will likely remain strong, but no further major quakes are expected at this time. The situation is under control."
Kamchatka and Russia's Far East lie within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active belt known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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