A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck the Pacific region on Wednesday, sending powerful tsunami waves crashing into Russia’s Far East and Japan, and prompting widespread warnings of waves exceeding three meters in height. In Russia, authorities reported that the port town of Severo-Kurilsk was inundated after the tsunami hit, forcing the evacuation of its approximately 2,000 residents. Social media footage revealed buildings in Severo-Kurilsk submerged beneath seawater, though local reports indicated that while several people were injured, none sustained serious harm.
In Japan, live television coverage showed residents urgently evacuating to higher ground, particularly on Hokkaido, the northern island where the first wave, measuring 30 centimeters, was observed. The earthquake, the most powerful to hit Russia’s Kamchatka region since 1952, shared a similar epicenter to the historic 9.0 magnitude quake of that year, which unleashed a devastating Pacific-wide tsunami, according to the US Geological Survey.
The region experienced at least six significant aftershocks, including ones measured at 6.9 and 6.3 on the Richter scale. Japanese broadcaster NHK switched to emergency programming, repeatedly urging coastal residents to evacuate immediately, while television screens prominently displayed the warnings: “Tsunami! Evacuate!” Authorities across the Pacific Rim remain on high alert as the situation develops.
