Pacific tsunami alert

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, July 30, triggering tsunami warnings across much of the Pacific Ocean, including Japan, China, Hawaii, Chile, and Peru.

In Russia, particularly in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, waves of 3 to 4 meters high were recorded. Coastal populations were evacuated, and damage mainly affected port infrastructure, but no deaths have been confirmed so far.

Japan activated tsunami warnings, evacuating approximately two million people in the northern, eastern, and central coastal regions of the archipelago, with warnings for waves of up to 3 meters. The direct impact of the tsunami in Japan is limited so far, with waves on Hokkaido and Tokyo Bay, and precautionary measures to protect facilities such as the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Hawaii experienced tsunami waves and activated sirens and evacuation protocols. The warning was later downgraded to advisory level, allowing evacuees to return home with caution.

China issued a tsunami warning for its eastern coast and lifted it shortly afterward, after it was confirmed that the impact would be minimal.

Chile, Peru, and other Latin American countries were included in the tsunami warning, although no significant waves have been reported on their shores so far.

This earthquake is the largest recorded in the region since 1952 and the sixth most intense worldwide since 1900, which explains the widespread use of tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific Rim.

(MH with MaSi - Source : Euronews - Photo : © Unsplash)