A powerful earthquake occurred off the coast of Kamchatka in Russia’s Far East, with a magnitude close to 9, making it the strongest in the region in over 70 years. The event has caused severe damage, triggering waves of tsunami that hit coastal areas. The threat of aftershocks and further tsunami waves remains. This was reported by Baltimore Chronicle.
According to the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the earthquake was the strongest in the region since 1952. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates it at 8.8 on the Richter scale, stating that the epicenter was located at a depth of 19.3 km, about 136 km off Kamchatka’s eastern coast. Russian authorities have rated the earthquake at 8.7. The tremors caused significant damage and triggered a series of aftershocks, some reaching 7.5 in magnitude, with more expected in the coming weeks.
The earthquake affected not only Kamchatka, but also Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, where damage has been reported. On Kamchatka’s coast, particularly near the Voda Padnaya weather station, tsunami waves reached 3-4 meters in height. In the town of Severo-Kurilsk, the tsunami inundated ports and a fish processing facility, leading to the evacuation of over 300 people.
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where the tremors exceeded 7 on the Richter scale, significant damage was recorded in buildings, including a daycare center. The port infrastructure was partially flooded, and the airport temporarily ceased operations. Local residents reported loss of internet connectivity, which was later restored.
The tsunami threat remains active for several countries. Meteorological services in the U.S., Japan, and other Pacific nations took emergency measures, evacuating residents from coastal areas. Tsunami waves reached Hawaii, prompting an evacuation, while Japan experienced small waves. Some rail services in Japan were suspended, and a tsunami warning was issued for eight prefectures.
According to CNN, this earthquake ranks as the sixth most powerful in recorded history and is the strongest since the 2011 earthquake, which caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Kamchatka, a strategically important Russian military zone, will continue to be under scrutiny due to its seismic activity and its proximity to Japan and Alaska.
Earlier we wrote that protest erupts at Akkuyu nuclear plant site in Turkey over unpaid wages.