Millions of evacuees across the Pacific Rim have begun returning to their homes after tsunami warnings were lifted following one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
The 8.8-magnitude quake, which struck the sparsely populated Russian Far East on Wednesday, triggered widespread tsunami alerts across more than a dozen countries, including Japan, the United States, Chile, and Ecuador, prompting mass evacuations and coastal closures.
Storm surges of up to four metres (12 feet) were initially forecast, with waves eventually reaching more moderate levels. The worst impact was seen in Russia’s Severo-Kurilsk port, where a tsunami swept through the town, flooding a local fishing plant and pushing debris hundreds of meters inland, according to Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov.
Russian media reported limited injuries and some infrastructure damage, while state television aired footage of buildings and equipment being washed away. Shortly after the quake, Russia’s Klyuchevskoy volcano also erupted, spewing lava and ash in what scientists believe could be linked to seismic activity.
In Japan, nearly two million residents were ordered to evacuate coastal areas, though tsunami warnings were later downgraded to advisories as waves remained below one metre. The country reported one fatality, a woman who died when her car fell from a cliff while fleeing.
Chile’s Interior Ministry called its response “perhaps the most massive evacuation ever carried out,” with 1.4 million people moved to safety. No damage or casualties were reported, and coastal wave heights peaked at just 60 centimeters.
In the Galápagos Islands, warnings of three-metre waves gave way to relief, as the surge measured just over a metre. Tourists were briefly evacuated, and local businesses and parks have since reopened. “Everything is calm… The restaurants are reopening,” said Santa Cruz resident Isabel Grijalva.
Other affected nations, including Peru, Ecuador, and the U.S. state of Hawaii, had shut down ports, canceled flights, and evacuated coastal zones as a precaution. All have since lifted or downgraded their alerts.
The U.S. Geological Survey classified the quake among the top 10 strongest recorded since 1900. Dozens of aftershocks have since rattled the region, including one of 6.9 magnitude, and Russian seismologists warn of potential aftershocks reaching 7.5 magnitude in the coming days.
Authorities across the Pacific continue to monitor seismic activity closely, urging coastal communities to remain alert despite the all-clear.
Written By Rodney Mbua
