A massive 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Far East on Wednesday, triggering tsunami waves that reached Japan’s northern coastline and parts of the Kuril Islands, prompting widespread alerts across the Pacific including Alaska and Hawaii.

The tremor, which occurred at 8:25 a.m. Japan time, was initially recorded at magnitude 8.0 by Japanese and U.S. authorities, but was later upgraded to 8.7. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake struck at a depth of 19.3 kilometers (12 miles), about 250 kilometers (160 miles) from Japan’s Hokkaido island.

Shortly after the quake, tsunami waves began hitting coastal areas. Japan’s Meteorological Agency confirmed that a wave about 30 centimeters (1 foot) high reached Nemuro, on Hokkaido’s eastern shore. Meanwhile, the first waves also reached Severo-Kurilsk in Russia’s Kuril Islands, according to Governor Valery Limarenko. He assured that residents had evacuated to higher ground and were safe.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued alerts for multiple regions, warning that waves between 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) above normal tide levels could impact coastlines in Hawaii, Chile, Japan, and the Solomon Islands. In some parts of Russia and Ecuador, even higher waves were anticipated.

Tsunami alert issued following strong earthquake near Russia

In Hawaii, tsunami sirens blared across Honolulu on Tuesday evening local time, and residents were urged to move to higher ground. “Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the PTWC warned, with the first waves projected to arrive by 7 p.m.

Damage and evacuations were reported in areas closest to the quake’s epicenter on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky saw widespread panic, with residents running into the streets—many barefoot or without coats. Homes shook, furniture toppled, and cars swayed violently. There were also reports of power outages and mobile network failures.

Further evacuations were ordered on Russia’s Sakhalin Island, where emergency services were operating at full capacity, Russian news agency Tass reported.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued tsunami warnings for the Aleutian Islands and a watch for parts of the U.S. West Coast—including California, Oregon, Washington—as well as Hawaii. Much of Alaska’s coastline, including parts of the panhandle, was also under alert.

Earlier this month, the same region experienced a series of strong undersea quakes near Kamchatka—the largest reaching magnitude 7.4. That quake occurred about 144 kilometers (89 miles) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

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The region has a history of powerful seismic activity. On November 4, 1952, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Kamchatka, generating 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves in Hawaii, though no fatalities were reported.

Source: Agency