The powerful earthquake registering a magnitude of 8.8 that struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at approximately 11:24 a.m. local time (07:24 a.m. UTC) on July 30 had an epicentre just 19–19.3 km below the surface some 130‒136 km southeast of Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky Reuters now reports

Local impact

Russian officials described the quake as the strongest in the region since 1952 when a magnitude 9.0 quake struck Severo‑Kurilsk and the quake is now believed to be the sixth largest in recorded history.

In Kamchatka, minor structural damage and flooding were reported, including damage to a kindergarten and power outages; a building collapse was noted in Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky. Injuries have been reported but no fatalities confirmed Al Jazeera reports.

Tsunami alerts across the Pacific

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center meanwhile issued alerts spanning from Russia through Japan, the United States to New Zealand and Mexico. Forecasts predicted wave heights from 0.3 m to over 4 m, depending on location SCMP states.

Japan

In Japan, the most populous country in the region, The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) first issued a tsunami advisory for the Pacific coast at 9:37 a.m. JST, upgrading to a full tsunami warning at 9:40 a.m.. Tsunami waves of up to 3 metres were expected along coastal areas from Hokkaido to Wakayama Prefecture according to local Japanese media, however, a wave measuring just 30–40 cm was observed in southern Hokkaido (Tokachi, Nemuro) around 10.30 a.m.

Almost a million people in Japan were placed under evacuation advisories, and transport networks including ferries and train lines were disrupted. Nuclear power plant operations, notably at Fukushima, were temporarily halted as a precaution, though no anomalies were reported AP reports.

Taiwan

Southwest of Japan in Taiwan the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a tsunami watch after the quake struck at around 7.25 a.m. Taiwan time citing forecasts by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Wave arrival was anticipated around 1.18 p.m., with possible wave heights of up to 1m on the southeastern and southwestern coasts the local Taipei Times said.