International News: A major earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 hit the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia on Wednesday. It was so powerful that tsunami warnings have been issued for nearby coastal regions in the Pacific Ocean.
Shaking Felt Across the Region
The earthquake struck at a shallow depth of just 19.3 km, which means its shaking was strongly felt. The epicenter was near Avacha Bay, about 125 km from Petropavlovsk, a city in Kamchatka. People shared videos online showing buildings shaking and alarms going off.
In some homes, furniture was seen shaking heavily, and in offices, employees could be seen rushing out as sirens went off. Thankfully, no deaths or serious injuries have been reported yet.
Holy Toledo! The sheer intensity and energy exploding from this quake. ?
From Bob Corona@Bob_Corona_MD Here On X:
8.7 mag earthquake in Russia. Tsunami warnings and watches. pic.twitter.com/oQq5eRjnY5
— MaryMacElveen ???? (@MaryMacElveen) July 30, 2025Schools and Towns Affected
According to Governor Vladimir Solodov, this was one of the strongest earthquakes in decades for the region. One kindergarten building suffered damage, but children were safe. Emergency teams are checking buildings for structural damage.
In Severo-Kurilsk, a small coastal town in southern Kamchatka, residents were evacuated as a safety measure in case tsunami waves strike. The local emergency agency reported waves as high as 32 cm had already reached the shore.
? ?? Earth-shattering!
A monstrous M8.7 quake struck off Kamchatka, Russia strongest since 2011. Tsunami alerts for #Russia, #Japan, U.S. West Coast, #Alaska & #Hawaii.
Shocking tremor videos pouring in! #Earthquake #Tsunami #kamchatka pic.twitter.com/G5CMcpEirH
— Rizwan Shah (@rizwan_media) July 30, 2025Warnings Extended to Japan and U.S. Territories
The Japan Meteorological Agency has also issued tsunami warnings. They expect waves up to 3 meters high to reach parts of the Japanese coastline between 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM local time. Warnings have been sent to low-lying areas to move to higher ground.
Meanwhile, the United States has issued tsunami advisories for Alaska and placed Guam and Micronesia under tsunami watch. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center said dangerous waves could reach several parts of the Pacific within three hours of the earthquake.
Why Kamchatka Faces Frequent Quakes
Kamchatka lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most earthquake-prone regions. This area regularly experiences strong tremors and volcanic eruptions. Governments and disaster teams in affected countries are now on high alert and monitoring the sea level for further activity.
