A tsunami following the largest earthquake in the Kuril Islands in 70 years washed 120 tonnes of salmon and one tonne of scallops stored at the Alaid fish processing plant into the ocean, RBC reported on August 3.

The Alaid fish processing plant in Severo-Kurilsk was almost completely flooded and has suspended operations following the tsunami. General director Anton Kovalev said the facility cannot continue its activities in the near future.

The earthquake occurred off Kamchatka on July 30 at a depth of 32 kilometres and was the most powerful in the region since 1952. The Russian Academy of Sciences Geophysical Service initially rated its magnitude at 7.5, then raised it to 8.5 and later to 8.7.

"Water tore apart the refrigeration chambers, and the products stored there - 120 tonnes of salmon and one tonne of scallops - were carried into the ocean," Kovalev told RBC.

He said the net-making workshop was completely damaged with its foundation plate undermined, while the carpentry workshop and fuel storage building were destroyed.

All equipment including vehicles and cranes were submerged, with much of it beyond repair. The tsunami wave covered all premises of the fish processing enterprise at a height of 2.5 metres, causing all electrical equipment to fail.

Conveyor belts for processing were completely destroyed in the red fish workshop and partially damaged in the white fish workshop. Staff are currently clearing the territory.

Alaid company, which engages in fishing and fish processing, has operated on Sakhalin since 2014 and is considered one of Severo-Kurilsk's key enterprises. According to SPARK data, 236 people worked at the plant at the end of 2024.