More Countries Issue Tsunami Warnings After Massive Earthquake Hits Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula

Beijing: A powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering a wave of tsunami alerts across the Pacific region, including new warnings for China, Peru, and Ecuador, as fears of widespread impact grow.

The quake’s epicentre was located approximately 119 kilometers (74 miles) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a major Russian city with nearly 180,000 residents. The tremor prompted immediate tsunami warnings in Russia, Japan, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and several Pacific Island nations.

Authorities in affected areas, particularly in Kamchatka, began evacuations from vulnerable coastal zones. Waves of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 feet) have already been reported along the peninsula's shoreline, prompting residents to move to higher ground as a safety measure.

In China, officials issued a tsunami advisory for parts of the eastern coast.
The Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement:

“Based on the latest analysis, the Tsunami Advisory Centre has confirmed that the earthquake triggered a tsunami, which is expected to affect certain coastal areas of China.”
Waves are forecasted to range from 30 centimetres to one metre in height.

In Peru, the Navy also declared a tsunami warning following evaluations by the National Tsunami Warning Centre, stating that the Peruvian coast is at risk.

Similarly, Ecuador has initiated preventive evacuations in the Galapagos Islands, suspending all maritime activities and clearing beaches, docks, and low-lying areas.
The Secretariat for Risk Management noted:

“A tsunami warning has been declared for the Insular Region (Galapagos), prompting immediate precautionary measures.”

Meanwhile, several nations along the Pacific Rim, including Japan, Russia’s Far East, and U.S. territories like Hawaii, remain on high alert as seismic waves ripple outward from the quake’s epicentre.

According to early reports, tsunami waves have already reached parts of Japan and Russia, following what experts are calling one of the most powerful earthquakes in recent history.

Seismologists warn that areas closest to the epicentre are at the highest risk of severe and potentially devastating tsunami waves, driven by the force of the deep undersea tremor.

With inputs from IANS