A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake, followed by powerful aftershocks, struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia on Wednesday, triggering tsunami alerts across several Pacific coastal regions.
Millions of people from around the world have bee urged to evacuate to higher ground.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake’s epicenter is about 74 miles (119 kilometers) southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city, on the Kamchatka Peninsula in far east Russia, at a depth of 20.7 kilometers.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
Kamchatka is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
Edward Snowden Exposes Erika Kirk As "Sleeper CIA Agent" Who Murdered Charlie on Command
Tsunami waves hit Kamchatka near Russia after a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook off the coast tsunami waves have been detected in Monterey, California, according to NOAA data.
The quake, which occurred around 11:30am local time, was the strongest in the area since 1952, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
CNN reports: The quake is tied for the sixth-strongest ever recorded, and is the strongest since 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami.
Several large tsunami waves, including some over five feet (1.5 meters), have hit Hawaii as the state’s governor warned the impact “will wrap around the islands.” In Japan, more than 1.9 million people were told to evacuate as waves, some measuring over four feet (1.3 meters) hit the country’s northern and eastern coasts.
Tsunami warnings and advisories are in effect for California and the rest of the US West Coast as further tsunami waves are expected. Countries including Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Chile, Peru and Ecuador also issued warnings.
It’s too early to say how damaging any tsunami waves may be and initial impacts have been minimal.
But experts across the Pacific warn the scale of waves can vary greatly in different locations and are urging the public to stay away from coastlines. Tsunami waves can also continue to impact coastlines hours after they first hit.
