 "The tsunami-hit Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir island of Russia's northern Kuril islands. Photo by Handout / Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences / AFP")
A tsunami hit the US state of Hawaii, Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s Hokkaido island after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on early Wednesday (July 30). Several countries across the Pacific Ocean, including Japan and the US, have issued tsunami alerts.
Today’s quake is the strongest in over a decade. Several people in Kamchatka were injured after the quake. However, no serious injuries have been reported so far.
“Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,” Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia’s TASS state news agency.
As the strong earthquake has set off tsunami warnings, which areas could be impacted?
Let’s take a closer look.
Catch all updates about the Russia earthquake here .
Russia quake: Which areas have been hit by tsunami?
A tsunami was reported in US’ Hawaii, Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.
The tallest wave of four feet (1.21 metres) was recorded at Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii’s most populous island, by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, reported BBC.
“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” it said, warning that the danger could last for hours.
According to Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a wave as high as six feet passed through Midway Atoll island between Japan and Hawaii. He also said that all flights in and out of Maui have been cancelled, Reuters reported.
A port in the Russian Pacific town of Severo-Kurilsk, on the Kuril Islands, was flooded after a tsunami wave struck the area. Russia’s far eastern Sakhalin region declared a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands, where tsunami waves damaged buildings and caused flooding.
Dozens of waves have been witnessed across Japan’s Pacific coast . A tsunami of 60 centimetres (two feet) was observed at Hamanaka town on Hokkaido island and Kuji port in Iwate on the main island. A 20 cm (7.9 inches) wave was reported in the Tokyo Bay, Associated Press (AP) reported, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The agency has said that major tsunamis could occur for more than a day after the Russian earthquake. “Tsunamis are still being observed, and there is a risk of damage from tsunamis. Tsunamis can strike suddenly. Please do not leave safe places until the warning is lifted,” it said.
Tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean
From Alaska to New Zealand, tsunami warnings have been issued across the Pacific Ocean.
A tsunami of less than 30 centimetres (under one foot) is expected to strike parts of Vancouver Island in western Canada. The British Columbia provincial emergency preparedness agency warned that “multiple waves over time” could hit the British Columbia coast.
Authorities in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands have urged people to stay clear of coastlines until danger subsides, reported AP.
Sirens were sounded in the Northern California community of Crescent City in the US, urging people to stay away from the beaches.
Officials across California also warned residents about a tsunami, as the US west coast braced for waves following the powerful earthquake in Russia.
A tsunami between the heights of one foot and about five feet (less than 30 centimetres to 1.5 meters) has been predicted across parts of Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California.
The US Tsunami Warning System also warned of “hazardous tsunami waves” across the Pacific. Waves with a height of more than three metres are likely to hit some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands and Ecuador. A 1-3 metres tall tsunami could occur in countries such as Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands, it said, as per Reuters.
“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 on social media. “A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States.”
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources’ Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts for the country’s east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces, predicting waves between 0.3 to one meter.
Mexico’s Navy has forecasted waves of 30 to 100 centimetres (1 to 3.3 feet) on the Mexican Pacific coast.
The Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand and Peru have also issued tsunami alerts.
Has there been damage?
The powerful earthquake has caused damage to buildings and injured several people in remote Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula.
A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky told Reuters that the shaking occurred for several minutes. “I decided to leave the building,” Yaroslav, 25, said. “It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least three minutes.”
According to Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Services, a kindergarten was damaged. However, no serious injuries or casualties were reported.
Electricity was cut off after the quake damaged a power grid in Russia’s Sakhalin region, Russia’s RIA news agency said, citing the regional governor.
No serious injuries or damage have been reported in Japan so far, the country’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, adding that no irregularities were witnessed at any nuclear plants.
A woman in her 60s was slightly wounded when she fell during evacuation on the northern island of Hokkaido. She was taken to a hospital.
Nearly two million residents in Japan’s 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast have been asked to evacuate amid tsunami warnings.
With inputs from agencies