Russia earthquake: Far East, Japan coasts hit with tsunami waves of upto 4 metres; several injured after powerful jolts

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.8 hit Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, following which, Tsunami waves of upto 4 metres hit the region, according to news agency Reuters.

The US Geological Survey reported an earthquake at a depth of 19.3 km, which left several injured. University of Tokyo seismologist Shinichi Sakai told NHK that even distant quakes can trigger tsunamis in Japan if the epicenter is shallow.

Notable quake, preliminary info: M 8.0 - 136 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia https://t.co/pecsU8xcSy

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) July 29, 2025

BREAKING:

First video of the tsunami hitting Kamchatka, Russia pic.twitter.com/SyCrcRIEpz

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 30, 2025

Here's what we know so far:

• A tsunami reaching up to 4 metres (13 feet) following the quake, Sergei Lebedev, regional minister for emergency situations, said, urging residents to move away from the peninsula's shoreline. according to Reuters.
• Tsunami wave measuring around 30 centimetres (one foot) was observed in northern Japan following a huge earthquake off Russia's Far East, broadcaster NHK reported. The wave struck Hokkaido, Japan's main northern island, with NHK warning that subsequent waves could be significantly larger.
• Earlier, Japan's weather agency had predicted that waves of up to three metres were expected along the northern and eastern coasts of the country, extending south to Wakayama near Osaka.
• The Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami led to evacuations and caused damage to buildings, officials reported, as quoted by Reuters.
• The quake near the coast in Russia's far east left several individuals injured. "Unfortunately, there are patients who were injured during the earthquake... All patients are in satisfactory condition. No serious injuries have been reported at this time," Kamchatka region health minister Oleg Melnikov was quoted as saying by the state TASS news agency, as quoted by AFP
• "A Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way," US President Donald Trump said.
• This marks the strongest tremor in decades, Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Solodov added that a kindergarten was damaged.
• Tsunami warning also sirens blared in Honolulu as residents were advised to seek higher ground following an 8.7-magnitude earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern coast.
• The Indian Consulate General in San Francisco said that it is monitoring the potential tsunami threat following the recent 8.7 magnitude earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The Embassy advised Indian nationals to carefully monitor alerts from US authorities, including local emergency management and the US Tsunami Warning Centres.
• Traffic was congested in certain Honolulu neighbourhoods, and officials were preparing to open a mountain pass as an evacuation route from Waianae, a coastal community on the island of Oahu, said state Rep. Darius Kila. Despite the summer break, some schools issued alerts cancelling sports and other activities.