A powerful earthquake measuring 8.7 magnitudes struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia today, triggering a tsunami warning. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the Far East coastal areas were hit by the tsunami, submerging a small port town with a population of about two thousand.
According to Agence France-Presse, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations stated in a declaration, “The tsunami flooded parts of the port town of Severo-Kurilsk… residents have been evacuated.”
A video circulating on Russian social media appears to show the town’s buildings submerged by seawater.
The Earth Physics Research Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences mentioned that this is the most powerful earthquake to hit the Kamchatka region since 1952.
Reuters reported that local officials responsible for handling emergency situations, including Sergei Lebedev, warned that some areas of Kamchatka recorded tsunami waves as high as three to four meters, urging people to stay away from the coast.
Associated Press cited a report from the Russian news agency Tass in the largest city near the epicenter, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, stating that when the earthquake struck, many people ran into the streets without shoes or warm clothing.
Tass also noted that the capital of the Kamchatka region experienced power outages, disruptions in mobile phone signals, and other issues.
(Agencia Central de Noticias translation)