As it happened: Huge quake off Russia sparks Pacific tsunamis

Tsunami warnings sounded

Tsunami warnings have been issued across several countries after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday.

A tsunami of up to 4 metres hit the nation, prompting warnings and evacuations stretching across the Pacific Ocean, including the US, Japan, Philippines, Ecuador and China.

Several people were injured in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard was ordered to evacuate.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3km, and was centred 119km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. It revised the magnitude up from 8.0 earlier, and reported a strong aftershock of magnitude 6.9 soon after.

Evacuations, warnings; everything so far 

Early Wednesday, as one of the most powerful quakes in the region struck off the coast of Russia, many countries issued warnings and began evacuations.

Here’s what has happened so far:

1. The first tsunami waves have been spotted in Japan, with evacuation orders in place.

2. The Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, which had been damaged in the tsunami in 2011, has also been evacuated.

3. Hawaii and California have asked residents to stay away from beaches and coastal areas.

4. Philippines has issued a tsunami advisory, asking residents in certain areas to move away from the coasts.

5. In Russia, several people have been injured after the massive quake struck, with buildings and infrastructure sustaining damage.

6. Waves of up to one metre are expected in places including Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga and Taiwan.

30 tremors felt

After the main earthquake off Kamchatka, 30 additional tremors with magnitudes of 2 to 5 on the seismic scale have been recorded, Russia’s Geophysical Service says.

Some 2,700 people evacuated to safe areas in the Kuril Islands following the quake off Kamchatka, Russia’s TASS agency reports.

‘Pacific Ring of Fire’

Kamchatka and Russia’s Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest quake to hit the region since 1952.

“However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high … as one might expect from such a magnitude,” said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram.

“Aftershocks are currently ongoing … Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.”

Look: Japan evacuates beaches, coastal areas

Massive waves

Hawaii Governor Josh Green says the tsunami waves were 6 feet high when they passed through Midway Atoll.

Russia declares emergency on tsunami-hit islands

Authorities in Russia’s far eastern Sakhalin region declared on Wednesday a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands, where tsunami waves have damaged buildings and caused flooding.

“A state of emergency has been declared in the North Kuril District, where an earthquake and tsunami occurred today,” the Sakhalin government said in a statement.

Peru issues tsunami alert

Peru issued a tsunami alert on Tuesday following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia, the Navy said.

It said analysis by the country’s National Tsunami Warning Center “triggers a tsunami alert along the Peruvian coast”.

“The event will be continuously monitored,” the navy’s Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation said on social media platform X.

The National Emergency Operations Centre of the National Civil Defense Institute also said on X it was monitoring regions of the Peruvian coast.

The president of the country’s Geophysical Institute, Hernando Tavera, told AFP the tsunami “generated by this earthquake is expected to reach the Peruvian coast on Wednesday morning, with waves not expected to exceed three metres in height.”

Watch: Massive waves strike island after quake

Three tsunami waves hit the coastal zone of Severo-Kurilsk, the last one was the most powerful, the mayor of the municipal district told TASS, Russia’s news agency. Watch the damage it caused, below:

Flights disrupted

Travel has been disrupted in parts of the US, as tsunami warnings are issued.

Flights to Honolulu, Hawaii, have been affected by cancellations and diversions according to FlightRadar24.

Hawaiian Airlines said in a statement: “We are monitoring a tsunami warning impacting the Hawaiian Islands. Guests with travel to, from or within the Hawaiian Islands should check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.”

Power grid damaged in Russia’s Sakhalin

A power grid has been damaged in Sakhalin as a result of the earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula, and electricity has been shut off, according to preliminary information, Russia’s RIA news agency cited regional governor as saying on Wednesday.

Russian mayor says ‘everyone’ on tsunami-hit islands evacuated

The mayor of Russia’s northern Kuril islands district said Wednesday that “everyone” there had evacuated to safety following a tsunami which caused flooding and swept away buildings.

“There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated, all the people are in the tsunami safety zone,” Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said at a crisis meeting with officials.

Damaged kindergarten building

Watch as rescuers inspect a damaged kindergarten building in Russia’s Kamchatka region after the earthquake struck.

Up to 50cm waves recorded in Japan

Waves of up to 50 centimeters were observed along parts of northern and eastern Japan, Kyodo News, Japan’s news agency said.

The tsunami warning, issued earlier, led to significant disruptions across coastal regions. Rail and air services were suspended, and operations at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were temporarily halted, including the release of treated radioactive water into the ocean, the agency added.

The Japan Meteorological Agency cautioned that tsunami waves of up to 3 metres could reach a wide area. Officials warned the advisory could remain in place throughout the day.

By late morning, a 50cm tsunami was recorded at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture at 11.51am, and a 40cm wave was observed in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, at 11.38am. Smaller waves, up to 30cm, were also reported in Nemuro and Kushiro in eastern Hokkaido, as well as in Ofunato and Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture.

High waves expected to hit Hawaii soon

Midway Atoll, a group of US islands, northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands, observed a water rise of more than 3 feet, US media reports said.

This is the highest tsunami wave observed over open water in the Northern Pacific so far.

The reading may suggest that the largest waves could impact the Hawaiian Islands. The first waves are expected to reach Hawaii within the hour.

Japan records 4-foot-high tsunami, local media

A tsunami 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) high reached a port in Japan’s northern Iwate prefecture at 1:52 pm (0452 GMT), Japan’s weather agency said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency kept its tsunami alerts that waves of up to three metres (9.8 feet) were expected along Japan’s Pacific coast, after a magnitude-8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

In US, first tsunami waves hit Alaska

First tsunami waves have already hit Alaska, local media reports say. Waves are expected to hit Hawaii any time soon.

Other US states are bracing for impact with waves expected in the coming hours. Here are the estimated arrival times from the US Tsunami Warning Centre:

Oregon and Washington arrivals are expected to begin around 11.35pm PT (10.35am UAE time). California arrivals are expected to begin around 11.50pm PT (10.50am UAE time), reaching San Francisco Bay around 12.40am PT (11.40am UAE time) and Los Angeles Harbour around 1am PT (12pm UAE time).

Tsunami waves hit Hawaii

In an update, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has said that tsunami waves are now “impacting Hawaii”.

“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” it said.

Watch: Residents preparing ahead of expected waves

On TikTok, a flurry of videos surfaced ahead of the expected tsunami. Take a look as Hawaiian residents headed back home and began flashing lights as they expected massive waves to hit.

4ft-high wave recorded in Oahu, US

A 4ft-high wave has been recorded in Oahu, Hawaii, experts have said.

The governor of Hawaii, in a briefing, said that significant water receding has been noted. He urged residents to continue to stay cautious.

Oahu’s emergency management authority said in an alert on X: “Take Action NOW! Tsunami waves are currently impacting Hawaii.”

Shanghai evacuates 283,000 people

Shanghai has evacuated almost 283,000 people as Typhoon Co-May approaches the city, bringing lashing rains and high winds, state media reported Wednesday.

“From last night to 10:00 am today, 282,800 people have been evacuated and relocated, basically achieving the goal of evacuating all those who needed to be evacuated,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.

UAE urges citizens in Shanghai to stay safe

As thousands of people were evacuated amid a twin threat of an approaching tsunami and typhoon, the Consulate General of the UAE in Shanghai urged citizens to be cautious.

Citizens were asked to take precautions and follow safety instructions issued by local authorities.

They also provided phone numbers citizens could use in case of emergency, they are: 0097180024 and 0097180044444.

UAE flights operating as scheduled

Airlines in UAE said their flights were not affected to countries where a tsunami alert has been issued after a massive earthquake in Russia, KT’s Waheed Abbas reports.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways’ spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times that all flights are “operating as normal” to all destinations.

The UAE national carrier operates flights to the US, Japan, Russia and other countries. Dubai-based flydubai also confirmed that its flights to Russia are operating as scheduled. However, it doesn’t operate flights to the US and Japan. 

China lifts tsunami alerts for Shanghai, Zhejiang

Media reports say that the East Asian country has now lifted tsunami alerts issued for some parts of the nation.

Hawaii has seen no sign of major wave since tsunami alert, governor says

Hawaiian authorities have seen no sign of a significant wave since beginning preparations for a tsunami, governor Josh Green said late on Tuesday.

Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said all commercial harbours had been closed and flights cancelled in and out of the island of Maui, but there were no plans to shut off power.

Watch: Tsunami alert goes off in Hawaii

Ahead of the impact of the tsunami, sirens were sounded in Hawaii. The governor, during a briefing explained that several of them were set to go off.

In Japan, tsunami warning resurfaces memories of Fukushima disaster

Residents across Japan’s Pacific coast rushed to higher ground on Wednesday as tsunami warnings following a massive earthquake off Russia’s Far East resurfaced painful memories and lessons from the devastating 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster.

Television banners flashed “TSUNAMI! EVACUATE!” and similar warnings as most broadcasters cut regular programming to issue warnings and focus on evacuation orders, as tsunami waves approached Japan’s shores.

“Do not be glued to the screen. Evacuate now!” a news presenter at public broadcaster NHK shouted.

The warnings resurfaced memories of the March 11, 2011, earthquake, when more than 15,000 people died after a 9.0-magnitude tremor triggered a massive tsunami that tore through the Fukushima nuclear power plant and caused a radioactive disaster.

Pacific warning centre downgrades Hawaii tsunami alert to ‘advisory’

The tsunami alert level for Hawaii has been downgraded to an advisory, authorities said.

“Pacific Tsunami Warning Center REDUCED the alert level for Hawaii to a TSUNAMI ADVISORY,” the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said on X.

“Unusually strong currents and waves still possible close to the shore and in harbors. Officials are assessing damage but have NOT reopened coastal evacuation areas. Stay clear of these areas,” it said.

UAE embassy in Tokyo issues advisory

The UAE Embassy in Tokyo has urged Emirati citizens in Japan to exercise caution due to the earthquake that struck the Kamchatka region in Russia, which triggered tsunami waves affecting Japanese prefectures along the Pacific coast.

The embassy also emphasises the importance of adhering to safety instructions issued by local authorities, contacting the emergency numbers 0097180024 or 0097180044444 if needed, and registering with the ‘Twajudi’ service.

Tsunami alert lifted in Philippines 

The Philippine authority said that “no significant sea level disturbances nor destructive tsunami waves have been recorded since the 7.25am earthquake up until this cancellation.”

It then continued to say that “any effects due to minor sea level disturbances have largely passed”, before saying that the alert has now been cancelled.  

Japan downgrades tsunami alerts for many areas

Japan’s weather agency downgraded tsunami alerts issued for a wide swath of the archipelago, while keeping warnings unchanged for its northern areas.

Warnings for eastern Japan’s Ibaraki region all the way down to the southern Wakayama region have now been downgraded to “advisories”, Japan’s weather agency said on its website.

Russia lifts tsunami warning for Kamchatka

Authorities in Kamchatka said that the tsunami warning had been lifted, more than 11 hours after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake near the region’s coast prompted evacuations.

“Dear residents and visitors to the Kamchatka region, our colleagues from the State Emergency Situations Ministry have lifted the tsunami alert,” the region’s emergencies minister Sergei Lebedev said on social media.

No casualties, says Kremlin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had been no casualties in Russia from the huge earthquake off Kamchatka, for which he credited solid building construction and the smooth working of alert systems.

Volcano erupts in Russia

The Klyuchevskoy volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far east has started erupting after Wednesday’s powerful earthquake in the Pacific, Russian state news agency RIA reported.

Precautionary evacuations in Ecuador

Authorities in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands order precautionary evacuations to safe zones due to tsunami risks.

UAE tourists cancel plans

Emirati national Umm Abdul Rahman was in Shanghai with her extended family group of 12 people when news of the tropical cyclone and tsunami reached her. She and her family changed their plans due to the weather conditions. She said that she was thankful that they were safe. 

Read more here.

Tsunami advisory cancelled

Tsunami advisory has been cancelled for coastal areas of Oregon and Washington, the National Tsunami Warning Center said.

Tsunami alerts lifted

A strong earthquake struck Russia’s Far East on Wednesday, causing tsunamis up to four metres high across the Pacific and sparking evacuations from Hawaii to Japan. Several countries with a Pacific coastline issued warnings, while nearly two million people were advised to evacuate in in Japan.

As several countries have now downgraded their tsunami alerts to advisories, Khaleej Times is now closing this live blog.

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