Tsunami Alerts Lifted Across Pacific After Massive Quake Hits Russia’s East Coast

Tokyo, MINA – Tsunami alerts have been lifted in several countries following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, which triggered waves across the Pacific region, affecting Russia, Japan, the United States, and numerous coastal areas in Latin America and Asia, according Al Jazeera.

Authorities in Hawaii and Japan downgraded their warnings after earlier evacuations. Russia also canceled tsunami alerts in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands after the seaport town of Severo-Kurilsk was flooded but safely evacuated.

The earthquake, the strongest in the region in decades struck 136km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the US Geological Survey. It also caused the Klyuchevskoy volcano in Kamchatka to erupt.

Evacuations were ordered in parts of Ecuador, Hawaii, Chile’s coastline, and Japan’s coastal regions. In Japan, waves of 30 cm arrived in Hokkaido, prompting evacuations in low-lying areas. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged residents to move to higher ground.

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The United States issued warnings and advisories for Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific Coast. Later, these were downgraded as the threat lessened.

Tsunami expert Robert Weiss emphasized the serious potential of the event: “Three meters is pretty destructive,” he said. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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