Tsunamis hit Hawaii after 8.8-magnitude earthquake rattles Russia's far east
The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard – devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – was ordered to evacuate.
A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky said the shaking went on for several minutes.
'I decided to leave the building,' said Yaroslav, 25. 'It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least three minutes.'
Video footage released by the region's health ministry showed a team of medics in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky performing surgery as the tremors shook their equipment and the floor beneath them.
A rescuer stands near a damaged kindergarten following a 8.8-magnitude earthquake, in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka Krai, Russia on Jul 30. PHOTO: EPA
Tsunami waves struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said.
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Verified drone footage showed the town's entire shoreline was submerged, with taller buildings and some storage facilities surrounded by water, which was seen pouring back into the sea.
'Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,' Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful to hit the region since 1952.
In Hawaii, waves of up to 1.7 metres impacted the islands before the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reduced its warning level for the state around 0850 GMT, saying no major tsunami was expected.
Coastal residents were earlier told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the US Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours.
Flights out of Honolulu airport resumed later, the transportation department said, while the main airport in Maui remained closed with passengers sheltering in the terminal.
Tsunami waves of nearly half a metre were observed as far as California, with smaller ones reaching Canada's province of British Columbia.
Warnings across the Pacific
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km, and centred 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000.
Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people.
Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said.
Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed scores of people on the northern island of Hokkaido on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the sun, as fishing boats left harbours to avoid any damage from incoming waves.
Broadcaster Asahi TV reported a 58-year-old woman died when her car fell off a cliff while she was evacuating in central Japan's Mie prefecture.
Automaker Nissan Motor suspended operations at some factories in Japan to ensure employee safety, Kyodo news agency reported.
Three tsunami waves had been recorded in Japan, the largest of 1.3 metres, officials said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said no injuries or damage had been reported, and there were no irregularities at any nuclear plants.
Tsunami waves of 1 to 3 metres can be fatal for people who are swept away, said NHK.
The US Tsunami Warning System said waves of more than three metres were possible along some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands and Ecuador, while waves of one-3 metres were possible in countries including Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands.
'Ring of fire'
Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported.
Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia's Tass state news agency.
In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded three metres, with the largest up to five metres, Russia's RIA news agency reported.
Alexander Ovsyannikov, the town's mayor, urged residents to assess damage to their homes and not to use gas stove heating until inspections had been carried out.
Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
'However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude,' said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram.
'Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.' REUTERS
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Business Times
4 days ago
- Business Times
Huge quake rocks Russia's Far East, triggering tsunami warnings around Pacific
[TOKYO / LOS ANGELES] Parts of French Polynesia were told to brace for waves as high as 4 metres on Wednesday (Jul 30), after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern coast triggered tsunami warnings as far away as Hawaii, Japan and Chile. The shallow tremor off the Kamchatka Peninsula damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard – devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – was ordered to evacuate, as were parts of Hawaii. By Wednesday evening, Japan and Hawaii had downgraded their tsunami warnings, but authorities in French Polynesia warned residents of several of the remote Marquesas Islands to move to higher ground, and follow official instructions. The waves were expected to hit some islands in the early morning hours. 'Our armed forces in French Polynesia are on alert as a precautionary measure, to be ready to assist our fellow citizens and state services in potential search and rescue operations or medical evacuations,' French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on the social media platform X. While the Marquesas are high-rising volcanic islands, much of French Polynesia consists of low-lying atolls. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Russian scientists said the quake in Kamchatka was the most powerful to hit the region since 1952. 'Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,' Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. 'It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least three minutes,' said Yaroslav, 25, in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril Islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded three metres, with the largest up to five metres, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Alexander Ovsyannikov, the town's mayor, urged residents to assess damage to their homes and not to use gas stove heating until inspections had been carried out. Tsunami waves partially flooded the port and a fish processing plant in the town, sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said. Verified drone footage showed the town's entire shoreline was submerged, with taller buildings and some storage facilities surrounded by water as it swept back out to sea. Hawaii recorded waves of up to 1.7 metres while in Japan the largest recorded came to 1.3 metres, officials said. Tsunami warnings and orders to head for higher ground in both places were later downgraded in most areas to advisories, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center saying Hawaii no longer expected to see a major tsunami. Flights out of Honolulu airport resumed in the evening, the transportation department said. Waves of nearly half a metre were observed as far as California, with smaller ones reaching Canada's province of British Columbia. Warnings across the Pacific The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km, and centred 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. Tsunami alarms had sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people. Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said. Broadcaster Asahi TV reported a 58-year-old woman died when her car fell off a cliff while she was evacuating in central Japan's Mie prefecture. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said no injuries or damage had been reported, and there were no irregularities at any nuclear plants. But hundreds of thousands of commuters in Tokyo and surrounding areas faced being stranded as they headed home, with operations on railway lines along the Pacific coast remaining halted. 'Ring of fire' Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged, but most buildings withstood the quake. Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia's TASS state news agency. Video footage from the region's health ministry showed a team of medics in the city of 165,000 residents performing surgery as the tremors shook their operating theatre. 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Tsunamis hit Hawaii after 8.8-magnitude earthquake rattles Russia's far east
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A rescuer stands near a damaged kindergarten following a 8.8-magnitude earthquake, in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka Krai, Russia on Jul 30. PHOTO: EPA Tsunami waves struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Verified drone footage showed the town's entire shoreline was submerged, with taller buildings and some storage facilities surrounded by water, which was seen pouring back into the sea. 'Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,' Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful to hit the region since 1952. 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The US Tsunami Warning System said waves of more than three metres were possible along some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands and Ecuador, while waves of one-3 metres were possible in countries including Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands. 'Ring of fire' Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported. Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia's Tass state news agency. In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded three metres, with the largest up to five metres, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Alexander Ovsyannikov, the town's mayor, urged residents to assess damage to their homes and not to use gas stove heating until inspections had been carried out. Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. 'However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude,' said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram. 'Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.' REUTERS
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A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves of up to 5 metres and sparked evacuation orders in Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday (July 30). The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard — devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 — was ordered to evacuate. A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky said the shaking rumbled for several minutes. "I decided to leave the building," said Yaroslav, 25. "It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least 3 minutes." Tsunami waves struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said. "Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful quake to hit the region since 1952. In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the US Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached. "Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected," the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said on X. Shortly after 0730 GMT (3.30pm in Singapore time), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of up to 1.7 metres were impacting the Hawaiian islands. State Governor Josh Green had earlier said no waves of consequence had hit Hawaii but all flights in and out of Maui had been cancelled. Warnings across the Pacific The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3km, and centred 119km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. It revised the magnitude up from 8.0 earlier, and reported a series of strong aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.9. Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people. Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said. Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed scores of people on the northern island of Hokkaido on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the beating sun, as fishing boats left harbours to avoid potential damage from the incoming waves. Broadcaster Asahi TV reported a 58-year-old woman died when her car fell off a cliff while she was evacuating in central Japan's Mie prefecture. Automaker Nissan Motor suspended operations at certain domestic factories in Japan to ensure employee safety, Kyodo news agency reported. Three tsunami waves had been recorded in Japan, the largest of 1.3 metres, officials said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there were no injuries or damage reported so far, and no irregularities at any nuclear plants. Tsunami waves of between 1-3 metres can be fatal for people who are swept away, said NHK. They can also cause flooding and damage wooden buildings, with people at risk of being killed by large drifting objects, according to the Japan Lifesaving Association. The US Tsunami Warning System also warned of "hazardous tsunami waves" spreading across the Pacific. Waves reaching more than 3 metres were possible along some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands and Ecuador, while waves of 1-3 metres were possible in countries including Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands, it said. "Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii," US President Donald Trump said in a social media post. 'Ring of fire' Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported. Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia's TASS state news agency. In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded 3 metres, with the largest up to 5 metres, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Alexander Ovsyannikov, the town's mayor, said four tsunami waves had passed. He urged residents to assess damage to their homes and not to use gas stove heating until inspections had been carried out, in order to avoid a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Power to the Sakhalin region had been cut off due to damage to the electricity grid, RIA said, citing the regional governor. Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. "However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high... as one might expect from such a magnitude," said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram. "Aftershocks are currently ongoing... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control." [[nid:720756]]
