The coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Island and Japan’s large northern island Hokkaido came to a tsunami after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake in the early hours of Wednesday. Earlier, on Tuesday, tsunami warnings started ringing in Honolulu and people were asked to go to high places.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the first wave of tsunami, about 30 cm, reached the Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido. Local governor Balri Limaranco reported that the first wave of tsunami reached the coastal region of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement of the Kuril Islands of Russia in the Pacific Ocean.
They told that the residents are safe and they will remain in high places till the threat of wave is averted. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated that in some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and Solomon Islands, there is a possibility of waves of one to three meters higher than the tide level.
Some coastal areas of Russia and Ecuador are expected to rise higher than three meters. Russia’s news agency ‘Tas’ reported from Petropavalovsk-Kampachkski, the largest city near the center of the earthquake, that many people came out on the streets without wearing shoes and proper clothes.
The shelves fell inside the houses, the glass broke, the buildings and the cars started moving loudly. Tas also reported that there was a power failure in the capital of Kamchatka area and a stalled mobile phone service. She quoted a local Russian officer as saying that the residents of Sakhalin Island are being taken out of there and emergency services are working with their full capacity.
The US -based National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Alaska Alusian Islands and advised to be vigilant in parts of the west coast including California, Oregan, Washington and Hawaii.
This warning also includes a large portion of the coastline of Alaska. Earlier in July, there were five powerful earthquakes in the sea near Kamchatka with the most severe earthquake of 7.4 magnitude. There was heavy damage due to an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude at four November 1952 in Kamchatka.