The strongest earthquake since 1952 occurred in the Kamchatka region in Russia’s Far East. According to various estimates, its magnitude reached 8.7.

A major earthquake rocked the Kamchatka coast in Russia’s Far East. According to various estimates, its magnitude reached 8.7. A tsunami wave hit the coastal zone of the city of Severo-Kurilsk, the government of the Sakhalin Region said.

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[UPDATE] State of high alert declared in Kamchatka following earthquake

Authorities in the Kamchatka Region have declared a regional state of heightened alert following an earthquake, a necessary measure in order to conduct mandatory inspections, the local government reported on their official website.

"I propose introducing a regional state of high alert. The goal is to restore all the damaged systems, conduct additional inspections and mobilize necessary personnel and resources under a simplified procedure so that municipalities can promptly contract for the required assessments. All emergency services now need to be operating in an elevated capacity," the statement quotes Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov.

The emergency response commission unanimously approved the implementation of the high-alert regime. Municipalities are required to inspect the readiness of temporary shelters. Additionally, authorities will launch public awareness campaigns on safety protocols to follow in the event of an emergency caused by heightened seismic activity, aiming to improve regional safety.

Earlier, the local authorities declared a state of emergency in Severo-Kurilsk in Russia’s Sakhalin region due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Tsunami reaches California coast following Kamchatka earthquake, says US weather service

Tsunami waves triggered by the earthquake in Russia’s Kamchatka have reached the shores of California, the US National Weather Service reported.

"The tsunami has reached the California Coast, and is showing up in the Arena Cove [beach], CA tide gauge and is making its way down the coast right now," the Los Angeles branch of the NWS said on their official X account.

According to the US National Tsunami Warning Center, the wave height has reached 48 centimeters.

Earlier, authorities on the island of Oahu, home to Honolulu, the capital of the Hawaii state, urged residents to evacuate coastal areas. The US Coast Guard has also ordered all vessels docked in Hawaii to leave ports due to the tsunami threat following the earthquake off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka.

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The earthquakes

• Seismologists recorded a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 150 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on Wednesday, July 30, around noon local time (00:00 GMT).
• Later, the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported that the magnitude, according to various estimates, reached 8.7.
• The earthquake that hit Kamchatka was felt at the force of between 7 and 8 points.
• The shock epicenter was located 149 kilometers southeast of the regional capital at a depth of 17 kilometers.
• Seismologists recorded strong repeated earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1-5.8 to the southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, in the regional capital, tremors were felt with a force of 3 points.
• A tsunami threat was declared on the coast of Avacha Bay.
• A tsunami with a wave height of 3-4 meters was recorded in the Yelizovsky district of Kamchatka, near the Vodopadnaya weather station.
• The first wave of the tsunami hit the coastal part of the city of Severo-Kurilsk on the island, residents were evacuated to the hill.
• In total eight earthquakes with a magnitude of over 5 occurred off the coast of Kamchatka in an hour. The tremors occurred at depths of 7 to 100 kilometers.
• Experts predict aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 for at least a month.

Consequences

• Several people sought medical assistance.
• A wall collapsed in a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, there were no casualties.
• The port of Severo-Kurilsk in the Sakhalin Region and a fishing enterprise were flooded by a tsunami wave.
• Problems with the Internet connection were registered in Kamchatka, later all communication nodes were restored.
• The working day in government agencies of the Kamchatka region was shortened to 01:00 p.m. (04:00 a.m.Moscow time, 01:00 a.m. GMT).
• The number of calls to ambulance teams in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has increased.
• City Children's Clinic No. 1 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is temporarily closed for technical inspection.

Reaction of local authorities

• The authorities promised to provide residents with temporary accommodation in safe places, if cracks dangerous to the structure of housing are found.
• A regional headquarters will be deployed to coordinate the actions of departments and services.
• A hotline has been established for residents after the earthquake in the Kuril Islands.
• The authorities of the Sakhalin Region are mobilizing forces and reserves to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake in Severo-Kurilsk.

Echoes of earthquakes in Japan and the USA

• A tsunami wave about 30 cm high after the earthquake in Kamchatka reached the northern part of Japan.
• The Japanese Self-Defense Forces deployed fighter jets, patrol aircraft and helicopters to monitor the situation over the Pacific Ocean.
• Specialists from the Japanese energy company Tokyo Electric Power suspended the next phase of the discharge of purified water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant.
• Shinkansen bullet train service was suspended in central and northeastern Japan.
• No damage or casualties were reported in Japan.
• The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a tsunami warning following an earthquake in Kamchatka.
• The authorities of the Oahu island have called on coastal areas to evacuate immediately due to a tsunami threat following a powerful earthquake in Kamchatka.

2,700 people evacuated on Kuril Islands after earthquake

About 2,700 people have been evacuated to safe locations on the Kuril Islands due to a tsunami threat following the earthquake in the Kamchatka Region, the emergency services reported.

"Due to a tsunami threat, about 2,700 people, including almost 600 children, have been evacuated to safe areas on the Kuril Islands," the source said.

Tourist situation

• About 7,000-8,000 tourists are currently in Kamchatka, the press service of the Russian Union of Travel Industry said.
• According to preliminary information, Russian tourists have not been injured in the Kamchatka earthquake.

International effects

• A tsunami wave about 30 cm high after the earthquake in Kamchatka reached the northern part of Japan.
• The Japanese Self-Defense Forces deployed fighter jets, patrol aircraft and helicopters to monitor the situation over the Pacific Ocean.
• Specialists from the Japanese energy company Tokyo Electric Power suspended the next phase of the discharge of purified water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant.
• Shinkansen bullet train service was suspended in central and northeastern Japan.
• No damage or casualties were reported in Japan.
• Traffic is suspended on 41 railway lines and three sections of express train lines in Japan. An airport in the city of Sendai has been closed, the Kyodo news agency reported.
• The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a tsunami warning following an earthquake in Kamchatka.
• The authorities of the Oahu island have called on coastal areas to evacuate immediately due to a tsunami threat following a powerful earthquake in Kamchatka.
• The US Coast Guard instructed all vessels docked in Hawaii to leave ports due to a tsunami threat.
• The Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy issued a tsunami warning for the country’s coast.
• Ecuadorian Navy Oceanographic Institute has warned about a tsunami threat on the Galapagos Islands.
• Mexico declared a tsunami advisory for the west coast. According to the National Tsunami Warning Center, waves may be up to 1 meter high.
• A tsunami warning remains in effect across the entire coast of Peru, the country’s Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation said.
• Chinese authorities announced a tsunami threat which may affect the coast near Shanghai, the southern part of the Zhoushan municipal district in Zhejiang Province, as well as Taiwan.

This is a developing story that HO1 will continue to monitor.
Check back for updates.

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