8.8 magnitude earthquake in Kamchatka: here's why it happened. Tourists in Hawaii recount tsunami fears

Chilean authorities have issued a tsunami warning for Easter Island and asked residents to evacuate to safe areas, following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the Russian Far East. CNN reports. Easter Island is located about 3,200 kilometres off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean and is inhabited by about 8,000 people. Senapred, the Chilean Civil Defence, has urged residents to remain calm and follow the instructions of the authorities.

"We were on tour in the volcanic zone of the Big Island. Towards the end of the tour, as we walked back to the ship, we started receiving emergency signals on our phones: 'If you are in immediate danger, you must move away from the coast and get to higher ground'. Then in bursts another series of messages with indications of when the tsunami would hit. And panic set in'. From the Pacific come the testimonies of the many frightened tourists after the earthquake in Russia and the tsunami warnings in the Pacific, such as that of the Briton Rachael Burrows, who was forced to hurry back to a cruise ship in Hawaii before it sailed to safer waters this morning. Initially,' she told BBC Breakfast, 'the tour guide didn't heed the warning, saying it happened all the time and that 'nothing would happen. We started getting more of them indicating the times when the tsunami would happen'. And suddenly, "they told us to hurry back to the ship to sail to safe waters". "It was quite scary because all the sirens in the area started to sound. Fortunately, we were among the first to board the cruise ship. Then we saw many other people lining up, but they didn't make it. They were told to go to a higher point from the shore and seek shelter".

"Right now, the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano is erupting," said the Kamchatka section of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as reported by the Russian news agency Tass.

The evacuation order issued in Hawaii following the tsunami warning has been lifted, but residents must remain vigilant as they return to their homes. This was stated today by US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

"I have spoken with Hawaii Governor Josh Green and the evacuation order has been lifted for coastal areas at risk of flooding. Please be careful as you return and watch for any damage. We will continue to monitor the situation in Hawaii, Alaska and California,' Noem wrote on X.

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake, accompanied by at least four aftershocks, shook the border areas of El Salvador and southeastern Guatemala yesterday afternoon. 'We ask the population to remain calm, follow evacuation protocols and monitor official channels for further information,' Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo wrote on social media. In El Salvador, damage was reported to homes, buildings and churches in the departments of Ahuachapán and Santa Ana, in the west of the country. According to the Salvadoran Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the epicentre was located in Guatemalan territory, nine kilometres northwest of the district of San Lorenzo, in Ahuachapán Norte, and at a depth of only two kilometres, which intensified the impact. A few minutes later, a first aftershock of magnitude 5.6 was recorded. In the municipality of Ahuachapán Centro, Mayor Carlos Milla said he had received reports of about 1,000 damaged homes and landslides on the Las Chinamas border road. Vehicle access was temporarily closed while personnel cleared the road. In San Lorenzo, municipal authorities reported at least 125 damaged homes and churches, as well as collapsed walls in central and rural areas. The Civil Defence Department reported that although no casualties have been reported so far, shelters are being set up.

"The earthquake in Kamchatka demonstrated the region's strong preparedness to deal with the emergency, the measures taken in advance proved effective," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on the 8.8 magnitude earthquake recorded near the Russian coast that triggered a tsunami alert across the Pacific. "All warning systems were activated in a timely manner and the evacuation of people from areas from which it was necessary to move away in case of a tsunami was organised," the Russian spokesman explained at a briefing, "thanking God" for the fact that there were no casualties. "The earthquake resistance of the buildings proved effective, the technological preparation paid off and worked at a high level," the spokesman concluded.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared today that there are no safety threats to nuclear power plants located along the Pacific coast, following the earthquake off the east coast of Russia.

"The IEA is in contact with Japanese national authorities regarding the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia and the resulting tsunami. Initial reports indicate that there is no impact on the safety of nuclear power plants along the Pacific coast,' the IAEA reported in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The Philippines has cancelled the tsunami warning issued for several coastal communities in the country, reports CNN. "No significant sea level disturbance or destructive tsunami waves have been recorded since the earthquake" in Kamchatka, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in its latest update. The institute had previously warned residents to stay away from the coast and move inland due to the risk of tsunami waves. 'The effects due to minor sea level disturbances have largely passed,' it added, cancelling the warning.

Colombia has just issued a tsunami warning for several areas of the Pacific coast, including the departments of Narino and Chocó. This was reported by CNN. According to the Colombian National Disaster Risk Management Unit, beach closures and safety measures for maritime traffic are being implemented in these areas. "As a preventive measure, it is recommended to evacuate beaches and low-lying areas on the coasts of Nariño and Chocó," the disaster management agency said. "Head to higher areas, away from the coast." Meanwhile, a tsunami warning has been issued for the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca.

Flights have resumed at Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii. This was reported by the Reuters news agency, citing the Hawaii Department of Transportation. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (Ema) announced that commercial ports will also reopen.

Japan has downgraded tsunami warnings for a wide swathe of the archipelago, the country's Meteorological Agency has announced: warnings for northern areas remain unchanged. The warnings for the eastern region of Japan, Ibaraki, up to the southern region of Wakayama, have been downgraded to 'warnings', the Agency's website states.

Waves up to four metres high are expected to hit the Marquesas archipelago in French Polynesia tonight, according to the High Commission of the Overseas Collectivity of France. An ocean wave ranging from "1.10 metres to 4 metres on the island of Nuku Hiva, instead of the 2.20 metres initially forecast" is expected to hit the Marquesas archipelago overnight "starting at 00:57" local time (12:27 in Italy), reads a press release from the High Commission. The islands of Ua Huka and Hiva Oa are also affected by the tsunami alert.

The tsunami warning issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (Ptwc) for the Hawaiian Islands following the earthquake in Kamchatka has been downgraded and no particularly dangerous tidal waves are expected.

"Based on all available data, a major tsunami is not expected to hit the state of Hawaii. However... sea level changes and strong currents could occur along all coastlines, which could pose a hazard to swimmers and boaters, as well as people near shore, on beaches, in harbours and marinas," the Ptwc statement reads.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a tsunami warning for parts of the South Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. This was announced by the US Embassy in Papua New Guinea.

"This alert implies potentially dangerous coastal flooding as well as unusually strong currents that are dangerous to people in or near the water. US citizens residing in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are advised to monitor local news and official updates," the diplomatic office indicated.

An emergency alert was issued this afternoon via mobile phone to New Zealanders across the country following a powerful earthquake in Russia. "Strong and unusual currents and unpredictable waves are expected on the coast following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake near Kamchatka, Russia," reads the emergency alert via mobile phone in the southern country, some 10,000km south of the Russian peninsula. "People on boats, in boats and in marinas should leave their vessels and reach the shore. Do not return to boats unless otherwise instructed by the authorities,' the alert reads. Although evacuation is advised against for those on shore, New Zealanders are urged to stay away from the water, including beaches, coastal areas, harbours, rivers, marinas and estuaries. The warning also advises against going out for sightseeing. The alert covers all coastal areas of New Zealand, including the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island and Chatham Islands. Tsunami waves are expected to reach New Zealand around midnight local time, national broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported.

Tide gauges off the northern coast of California, USA, recorded the first waves of the tsunami triggered by the devastating earthquake that struck the Russian Far East overnight.

"The waves will continue to intensify throughout the night and will become more dangerous as high tide approaches. Avoid the beaches!" warned the National Weather Service in Eureka, California.

Hawaiian Airlines announced the resumption of air services, which had been suspended due to the tsunami alert, as did its sister company Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines operations will resume in the morning, Hawaiian Airlines announced. Passengers travelling to, from or within the Hawaiian Islands are urged to check the status of their flight, the airline said. Hawaiian Governor Josh Green had earlier stated that all flights in and out of Maui had been cancelled for the night.

In Hawaii, traffic was paralysed along the famous Waikiki surf beach after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula, with tsunami warnings in various areas of the Pacific.

People fleeing are trying to reach higher ground in order to be safe from possible large incoming waves.

Local authorities on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula reported that several people were injured during the strong 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the area, but did not provide an exact number. Oleg Melnikov, head of the regional health department, said that some people were injured while trying to leave the buildings and that a patient admitted to the hospital sustained an injury when jumping out of a window. Melnikov said that all injured people were in a satisfactory condition. A video released by the Russian media showed a team of doctors from a Kamchatka cancer clinic supporting a patient and clutching medical equipment as the earthquake shook an operating room, before continuing surgery after the tremors had subsided. The authorities stated that the doctors will receive honours.

New Zealand's emergency management agency has issued a low-level warning for residents along the country's coastline. The agency said it expects 'strong and unusual currents and unpredictable swells on the coast' following the earthquake in Russia. "People in or near the sea in the following areas should move away from the water, beaches and coastal areas and move away from ports, marinas, rivers and estuaries," a warning read.

People on boats, pleasure boats and in marinas should move to the coast, it continued, adding that one should not go to the coast to check for incoming waves.

A violent earthquake of magnitude 8.8 struck Russia's eastern regions overnight, triggering a tsunami alert in the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Ecuador via Hawaii. The first waves, up to four metres high, hit the Kuril Islands, where a state of emergency was declared, and the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia. The epicentre of the earthquake, the most violent in the world for more than a decade, was recorded at a depth of 20.7 kilometres and 119 kilometres from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal town of 165,000 inhabitants overlooking Avacha Bay, in the southeastern arm of Kamchatka. Here are the videos of what happened

"So far we haven't seen any major waves, which is a big relief for us," Hawaii Governor Josh Green told a press conference, commenting on the tsunami that hit the islands' shores following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Kamchatka. So far, no damage has been reported, he added: "We anticipate it will be at least two or three hours before we can say 'all clear'. For now, though, all clear'. Some three of the strongest waves recorded in Hawaii were more than three feet high, reports CNN. Coast Guard Captain Nicholas Worst reported that all commercial ports were closed and ships and aircraft were deployed in case of emergencies.

Authorities in China have lifted the tsunami warning over Shanghai and Zhejiang. This was reported by the official media. The alert on Taiwan, however, remains.

No deaths, injuries or serious damage were reported in the Severo-Kurilsky District in Russia's Sakhalin region, which was hit by a tsunami today following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. The governor, Valery Limarenko, told Rossiya-24 television. The latest wave of the tsunami partially flooded the port and a fish farm, the governor pointed out, quoted by Tass. "Residents quickly took refuge on the high ground and no one was injured," Limarenko further said.

Japan recorded record visitor numbers this year, with April reaching an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travellers. Yet rumours - which have gone viral - of an impending disaster, stemming from a prediction in a Japanese manga (comic book), have dampened the tourism boom, with some airlines literally cancelling flights from Hong Kong, where passenger numbers plummeted 11% year-on-year in May, according to the latest available figures.

Hong Kong-based tour operators, contacted by Reuters, blamed a flurry of predictions on social media related to a manga entitled Watashi ga mita mirai (which can be translated as 'The Future I Saw') that depicts a dream of a violent earthquake and tsunami that would hit Japan and neighbouring countries this July 2025.

The threat of a tsunami caused by the Kamchatka earthquake has passed, the Avacha Bay saved Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by dampening the wave, Petr Shebalin, director of the Institute of Earthquake Forecasting Theory and Mathematical Geophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RIA Novosti.

Waves up to five metres high were recorded today on the coast of Russia's Severo-Kurilsk district, on the southern tip of the Kamchatka peninsula, following the magnitude 8.8 tsunami that hit the peninsula, international media reported.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said that nearly 2 million residents were subject to evacuation notices in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast following the tsunami alert after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the Kamchatka region of Russia. One person was slightly injured on the northern island of Hokkaido. It was a woman in her 60s who fell while hurrying to evacuate.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reports that waves caused by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Kamchatka have reached the islands of Hawaii. Tsunami waves "are now impacting on Hawaii," the Centre says in an update, as reported by the BBC. "Urgent action is needed to protect lives and property," the Centre adds, warning that the danger could persist for hours.

The first waves of the tsunami triggered by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Kamchatka have hit Alaska, while Hawaii will be hit soon, reports CNN. The rest of the western United States is preparing for the impact with waves expected in the coming hours. The state of Hawaii, parts of Alaska's Aleutian Islands and part of northern California are currently under the highest tsunami alert, while a tsunami warning is in effect for the rest of the US west coast.

A tsunami with waves up to 1.3 metres high was recorded in Japan after the magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Kamchatka, reports public broadcaster NHK.

The Farnesina is monitoring the situation in the Pacific Ocean, where a violent earthquake has triggered a tsunami alert for Russia, Japan, Guam, Hawaii and Alaska. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is following the development. For any reports," he explained in a post on X, "the invitation is to contact the Crisis Unit.

'All people' in the Russian district of the Northern Kurilii Islands have been evacuated' from the areas at risk and moved to safety. This was announced by the mayor, Alexander Ovsyannikov, after the tsunami caused by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. "We had enough time, a whole hour," he said, "Everyone is in a safe area.

The magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the Kamchatka region of Russia's Far East ranks among the ten most powerful ever recorded. Here is an overview according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

1) BIO (CHILE) - In 1960, a 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck the central region of Chile. Known as the Earthquake of Valdivia or the Great Chile Earthquake, the strongest ever recorded, it claimed more than 1,600 lives in the country and beyond, most of them due to the ensuing tsunami. Thousands of people were injured.

Authorities in Los Angeles are ready to respond to any consequences of the magnitude 8.8 tsunami recorded in Kamchatka, announced the city's mayor, Karen Bass. "Although the National Weather Service is currently forecasting that the earthquake surge will be less than a foot (just over 30 centimetres, ed.) in the early morning hours, the City of Los Angeles is making essential preparations to respond should the forecast change conditions in Los Angeles, particularly in the Port of Los Angeles and coastal communities," Bass' office said, as reported by CNN. Among the departments on alert overnight are police and fire departments in coastal areas. Rescue teams and buses are also on standby to help with any evacuation orders. A tsunami alert is in effect in the coastal regions of Southern California, and the National Weather Service said that Port San Luis, near Avila Beach, remains the area most at risk with waves up to 3.7 feet (just over a metre) higher than normal for 24 hours. At the same time, waves up to 4.8 feet (about 1.5 metres) higher than usual are expected in Crescent City for 30 hours of, according to CNN Weather.

At least 36 aftershocks were recorded off Kamchatka after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami warning in the Pacific, reports the website of the US Geophysical Institute Usgs. The magnitude of the subsequent quakes ranged from 4.7 to 6.9.

Following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the Russian region of Kamchatka, Peru and Ecuador also issued tsunami warnings. Local media reported this. The Hydrographic and Navigation Directorate of the Peruvian Navy has issued the alert for the entire coast of the country, while in Ecuador the 'high probability' alert concerns the Galapagos Islands and the situation along the mainland coast of the country is being monitored.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Severo-Kurilsky district of the Sakhalin region in Russia due to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit the area. This was reported by the regional government Valery Limarenko, who promptly convened a meeting of the emergency commission. This was reported by Ria Novosti.

According to the Russian news agency Tass, Internet and telephone connections have been restored in Kamchatka after the strong 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the area. Videos posted on social media show the façade of a collapsed kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. No casualties were reported.

The Mexican Navy said that waves 30 to 100 centimetres high are expected on the Mexican Pacific coast after the tsunami caused by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Kamchatka, in the Russian Far East. In a report, the Navy's tsunami warning centre said the waves will begin to reach the northern coast at Ensenada, near California, around 2.22am central Mexican time on Wednesday morning and will continue moving south along the Pacific coast until reaching the state of Chiapas around 7.15am local time.

The Tsunami Warning Centre of the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources has issued a tsunami warning for parts of the country's east coast along the provinces of Shanghai and Zhejiang. The alert predicts that waves could reach a height of between 30 centimetres and 1 metre. Shanghai and Zhejiang are already on alert as Typhoon CoMay is expected to hit Zhejiang Province on Wednesday.

From our correspondent

NEW DELHI - A violent earthquake of magnitude 8.8 struck Russia's eastern regions overnight, triggering a tsunami alert in the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Ecuador via Hawaii. The first waves, up to four metres high, hit the Kuril Islands, where a state of emergency was declared, and the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia.

The earthquake in the far east of Russia was the strongest in the area since 1952. This was claimed by the regional Seismic Monitoring Service. The earthquake was magnitude 8.8 with possible aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude. On Telegram, the local branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences called the earthquake a 'unique event', claiming that aftershocks could last up to a month.

"Due to a violent earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, a tsunami alert is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A tsunami alert is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific coast of the United States. A tsunami is also in effect in Japan. Visit tsunami.gov/ for the latest information. Stay strong and stay safe!" Donald Trump wrote this on his Truth Social following the tsunami warnings for Hawaii, Alaska and the Pacific coast of the United States.