On Wednesday, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuation orders across Japan, the U.S. west coast, and parts of the Pacific. The quake happened at a depth of 19.3 km, about 126 km southeast of Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky, causing a tsunami of 3-4 meters in some areas, resulting in injuries as people fled. Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Sorodov described the tremor as significant, damaging local kindergartens.
The U.S. tsunami warning system predicted dangerous waves along several coastlines, with evacuations occurring in Japan, where over 900,000 residents were instructed to move to higher ground. Japan’s meteorological authorities noted that while they expected waves up to 3 meters, only 40 cm had been recorded at various locations.
Workers at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, which previously suffered during a 2011 tsunami, were evacuated, but no abnormalities were reported. Tsunami warnings were also issued for Alaska and parts of the U.S. West Coast. The region is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, prone to seismic activity, with recent seismic events including five significant earthquakes earlier in July.
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