A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific and forcing evacuations in Hawaii, Japan, and several South American countries.
The tremor, one of the strongest globally since 2011, caused four-metre waves that flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk. Russian authorities confirmed several injuries, though none were life-threatening.
Tsunami alerts prompted nearly two million evacuations in Japan and widespread panic in Hawaii, where flights were grounded and sirens wailed. In Colombia, Ecuador, and Chile, coastal residents fled inland amid fears of destructive waves.
A Japanese woman died while evacuating, and workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant were temporarily evacuated. U.S. President Donald Trump urged Pacific residents to “stay strong and safe.”
Seismologists warned of aftershocks as strong as 7.5. The US Geological Survey said the quake matched the 1952 Kamchatka event and could impact coastlines across the Pacific.
Emergency services remain on high alert as tsunami warnings persist. Authorities advise continued vigilance, especially in vulnerable island nations and low-lying coastal areas.
