French Polynesia's Marquesas isles warned of 4m tsunami waves
PARIS : Authorities in French Polynesia warned the population of several of the Marquesas Islands to expect tsunami waves up to 4m high in the early hours of this morning after a huge quake off Russia's Far East.
They said the waves would reach the islands of Ua Huka, Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa at 12.57am local time.
Other islands in the Marquesas were expected to experience wave heights between 0.60m and 0.90m, the local government also said.
The warnings follow a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
'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.
Residents were urged to move to higher ground and follow official instructions, including securing boats or moving them away from the shore.
The Marquesas Islands, among the most remote in the world, have a population of approximately 9,500, according to a 2022 census.
The population is predominantly of Polynesian descent, alongside French and other immigrant communities.
The largest settlements are Taiohae on Nuku Hiva and Atuona on Hiva Oa.
Other archipelagos in French Polynesia may be affected by waves less than 30cm high, which do not require evacuation or sheltering, local authorities said.
French Polynesia covers 4,200sq km of the Pacific Ocean.
Its five archipelagos comprise 118 islands.
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