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A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East on Wednesday morning, triggering tsunami alerts and warnings in Japan and Hawaii.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the magnitude-8.7 tremor struck at a shallow depth of 19.3 km (12 miles).
Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning, with waves of up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) possible in areas along Japan's east and northeast coast.
"A tsunami advisory has been issued as of 08:37 (2337 GMT) on July 30," the JMA said on X, adding that "tsunamis will strike repeatedly. Do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the warning is lifted."
"Tsunami waves are approaching the coasts. Evacuate as quickly as possible," the JMA said in a separate update.
Kamchatka's regional minister for emergency situations, Sergei Lebedev, warned that a tsunami of between 3-4 meters was recorded in parts of Kamchatka, as he urged residents to move away from the peninsula's shoreline.
What else do we know about the earthquake?
The earthquake struck approximately 250 kilometers (160 miles) away from Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost of its four big islands, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
A tsunami warning has also been issued for the US state of Hawaii. Authorities in Honolulu have called for people to evacuate from coastal areas as it said "destructive" waves were expected.
The governor of Kamchatka, Vladimir Solodov, said in a video posted on Telegram that the "earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades."
He said there were no injuries reported, but that a kindergarten had sustained damage.
The governor of Sakhalin, an island across the Sea of Okhotsk from Kamchatka, said an evacuation order had been declared for the town of Severo-Kurilsk.
Kamchatka, Russia's Far East and Japan sit on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its high levels of seismic activity that is prone to large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In March 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, triggering a tsunami which led to a major meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
This is a developing story. More to come.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
