Huge earthquake strikes Russia’s Kamchatka, triggers tsunami alerts

The US Geological Survey reported the quake was shallow, 19.3 km deep, and struck 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka coast on Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific. The quake prompted alerts as far as Chile and French Polynesia. It was followed by an eruption of Kamchatka’s most active volcano.

The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote region of eastern Russia. Authorities ordered evacuations along Japan’s eastern seaboard and in parts of Hawaii, recalling the 2011 tsunami tragedy.

By evening, Japan, Hawaii, and Russia downgraded most tsunami warnings.

However, French Polynesia told residents of the remote Marquesas Islands to evacuate to higher ground.

Officials warned of waves reaching up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) in the Marquesas.

Tsunami waves struck the Marquesas on Wednesday but were smaller than initially feared, according to local officials. Some wave surges hit Nuku Hiva, the largest Marquesas island, and authorities expected 5–10 more waves in coming hours.

Russian scientists confirmed it was Kamchatka’s strongest earthquake since 1952.

The US Geological Survey reported the quake was shallow, 19.3 km deep, and struck 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. A local resident, Yaroslav, 25, said the quake lasted three minutes and felt like walls might collapse.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported no casualties in Russia, crediting strong construction and effective alert systems.

In Severo-Kurilsk, tsunami waves exceeded 3 metres, reaching 5 metres in some areas, Russian media reported.

A separate 6.07 magnitude quake hit the Kuril Islands between Kamchatka and Japan, German geoscientists reported.

Tsunami waves flooded the port and fish plant in Severo-Kurilsk, sweeping vessels away, officials said. Drone footage showed the entire shoreline submerged, with buildings surrounded by water.

Later, the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted, sending lava down its western slope.

The volcano, one of the world’s tallest, lies 450 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Russia’s Geophysical Service reported glowing lava, explosions, and a fiery sky above the volcano. Hawaii recorded tsunami waves of 1.7 metres. Japan saw waves as high as 1.3 metres.

Flights resumed from Honolulu airport later in the day, officials confirmed.

California saw waves up to half a metre, with smaller waves in British Columbia, Canada. Tsunami advisories were later lifted for coastal British Columbia and southern Alaska.

In French Polynesia, waves hit islands early Wednesday. Most areas saw wave heights below 30 cm, requiring no evacuation.

While the Marquesas are volcanic highlands, much of French Polynesia consists of low-lying atolls vulnerable to tsunamis. Authorities in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands ordered precautionary evacuations to safe zones.

Tsunami sirens blared across Japan’s Pacific coast, and authorities ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant evacuated as a precaution, but TEPCO reported no damage.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there were no injuries, damage, or nuclear irregularities reported. Kamchatka lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, known for frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions.

Scientists said the quake struck a megathrust fault where the Pacific Plate slides under the North American Plate. They warned of potential aftershocks, noting Kamchatka’s vulnerability due to tectonic plate movement. Footage from Kamchatka’s health ministry showed medics performing surgery during the quake in a shaking operating theatre.

The team steadied their patient and equipment by hand as tremors rocked the room, the CCTV footage revealed.