Hours After A Major Quake Prompted Evacuations And Tsunami Alerts Across Parts Of The Pacific Coast, Volcano In Russia's Far East Erupted.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the threat of a major tsunami hitting the United States "has passed completely."

Noem, speaking in Chile where she is attending meetings with officials, told reporters in the capital, Santiago: "We're in really good shape right now. We were fully deployed and ready to respond if necessary, but grateful that we didn't have to deal with the situation that this could have been."

(AP)

Scientists have anticipated the eruption for some time, with the volcano's crater filling with lava for weeks and the mountain emitting plumes of ash. It last erupted in 2023.

The four volcanic islands, known in Russia as the Kurils, stretch between Kamchatka and the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The islands were captured by the Soviet Union from Japan in the closing days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands it calls the Northern Territories, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty.

(AP)

Dubbed the “land of fire and ice,” Kamchatka is one of the most active volcanic regions on Earth. It has about 300 volcanoes, with 29 of them still active, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory. Quakes and tsunamis regularly strike the peninsula that lies close to an ocean trench where two tectonic plates meet.

The 1,200-kilometer (750-mile)-long peninsula nine time zones east of Moscow faces the Pacific Ocean on its east and the Sea of Okhotsk along its west coast. Kamchatka and a few nearby islands have a population of about 290,000 with about 162,000 of them living in the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Avacha Bay on the peninsula’s southeast.

(AP)

Volcano erupts after quake in Russia's far east: Russian Geophysical Survey

(AFP)

Additional aftershocks are possible, putting the entire Pacific Rim on tsunami watch. A tsunami warning remained in effect for parts of the northern California coast.

Much of the Pacific coast of North America, spanning from British Columbia in Canada to down the U.S. West Coast and into Mexico was under a tsunami advisory.

In Hawaii, emergency authorities blast alerts to people's cellphones, on TV and radio and sound a network of sirens. In Alaska, some communities have sirens, and information is available on weather radio or public radio broadcasts.

(AP)

Chile upgrades tsunami warning for most of its Pacific coast to the highest level following powerful earthquake.

(AP)

Bigger aftershocks cannot entirely be ruled out, he added, but their magnitude and frequency normally tend to decrease over time.

"You can expect large aftershocks to continue for some time, but the frequency of large, damaging events will reduce as time goes on," he said.

"There is always a chance of a larger event, but that larger event will usually occur relatively soon after, within days or weeks."

(Reuters)

Rescuers examine a damaged building following a powerful earthquake on the island of Sakhalin 

(Reuters)

With a relatively shallow depth of 20.7 km (13 miles), Wednesday's earthquake was always going to create such tsunami risks, experts said.

"It is an offshore earthquake and when you have offshore earthquakes there is the potential for tsunamis," said Adam Pascal, chief scientist at Australia's Seismology Research Centre.

"If you have a relatively shallow earthquake it is more likely to rupture the surface of the ocean floor," he told Reuters.

"We've seen in some cases you can have large earthquakes like this and not cause a tsunami because they are too deep and the shearing doesn't express itself at the surface."

(Reuters)

The 8.8 earthquake that struck the Russian Far East on July 29, was barely felt in the Russian capital of Moscow

Oprah Winfrey is facing backlash on social media over claims that she did not open her private road connecting Wailea to Kula, Hawaii, to help people evacuate to higher ground after the tsunami warning.

The waves reached as far as the town's World War II monument about 400 metres from the shoreline, said Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov.

Several people were injured in Russia by the quake, state media reported, but none seriously. "The walls were shaking," a Kamchatka resident told state media Zvezda.

(AFP)

Japan has downgraded its last remaining tsunami alert, which was in the country's north.

Tsunami advisories remain in place for its Pacific coast following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia's Far East on Wednesday.

Russian authorities on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands have canceled their tsunami warnings but say the risk of aftershocks and waves remains.

(AP)

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit that area in Kamchatka since 1952, according to the local branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In a statement posted on their Telegram channel, they called the earthquake a "unique event." They said the epicenter was near a recent earthquake that struck the peninsula on July 20.

(AP)

Wednesday's 8.8-magnitude quake was among the four strongest earthquakes this century, and among the eight strongest since 1900, according to the USGS.

The earthquake occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.

The 2011 Japan quake and the 2004 earthquake off Indonesia were 9.1 magnitude, and a 2010 earthquake in Chile also was recorded at 8.8 magnitude.

(AP)

Shanghai relocated more than 280,000 people, halted hundreds of flights and ferry services and imposed speed limits on roads and railways on Wednesday as a tropical storm whipped eastern China with gales and heavy rain.

Landfall by Co-May in the port city of Zhoushan in Zhejiang province early on Wednesday was soon followed by warnings of a tsunami set off by a powerful earthquake off Russia's far east, raising concerns of larger-than-expected storm surges along the Chinese coast.

(Reuters)

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.8 -- one of the strongest ever recorded -- struck Russia's sparsely populated far eastern Kamchatka peninsula early on Wednesday, causing strong tremors and tsunamis up to four metres (12 feet) across the Pacific.

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into Japan and Hawaii and across the Pacific.

Hawaii and parts of Japan downgraded tsunami warnings, with Hawaii lifting evacuation orders across the state while leaving a tsunami advisory in place.

Officials in Hawaii said residents who had evacuated could return to their homes. (AP)

The county of Hawaii lifted an evacuation order after a tsunami alert -- issued following the 8.8-magnitude quake off Russia's eastern coast -- was downgraded to an advisory, authorities said Wednesday. 

"EVACUATION LIFTED: The County of Hawai'i has canceled the evacuation order for coastal inundation zones," the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said on X.

(AFP)

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's sparsely populated Far East early on July 30, causing tsunamis of up to four metres (12 feet) across the Pacific and sparking evacuations from Hawaii to Japan.

(AFP)

Wednesday's quake was the strongest in the Kamchatka region since 1952, the regional seismic monitoring service said, warning of aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude.

The epicentre is roughly the same as the massive 9.0 quake that year which resulted in a destructive, Pacific-wide tsunami, according to the USGS. The organisation said it was one of the 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded.

(AFP)

Officials from countries with a Pacific coastline in North and South America -- including the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia -- issued warnings to avoid threatened beaches and low-lying areas.

In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate, and many left by car or on foot to higher ground. One woman was killed as she drove her car off a cliff as she tried to evacuate, local media reported.

(AFP)

Hawaii and parts of Japan have downgraded their tsunami warnings to advisories after a powerful earthquake.

One of the strongest quakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday. It sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and across the Pacific. No substantial damage has been reported so far, but authorities warned people away from shorelines and said the risk could last more than a day.

(AP)

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. No substantial damage has been reported so far, but authorities warned people away from shorelines and said the risk could last more than a day.

Ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia near the 8.8 magnitude quake's epicenter flooded as residents fled inland, and frothy, white waves washed up to the shore in northern Japan. Cars jammed streets and highways in Hawaii's capital, with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline.

(AP)

Waves as high as 10 feet are expected to hit Hawaii following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia.

Per a CNN report, the tsunami warning for Hawaii has been downgraded to an advisory. 

The “worst part of it” is over, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Director Chip McCreery said on Tuesday night, according to a Honolulu Star-Advertiser report.

The only tsunami warning remaining in the US is in Northern California.

Waves as high as 10 feet are expected to hit Hawaii following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia.

Data on FlightRadar24 show that several flights to Honolulu, Hawaii's capital city, were diverted, delayed or cancelled due to Tsunami alert in the area. Commercial flights that left from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Vancouver for Hawaii, had to be turned back to their destination airports late Tuesday, per tracking data.

Colombia ordered residents to evacuate beaches and coastal areas along the Pacific on Wednesday following a tsunami alert triggered by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's eastern coast, authorities said.

"Tsunami alert for Choco and Narino," the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management posted on X early Wednesday, referring to two Pacific regions, adding: "Preventive evacuation of beaches and low-lying coastal areas is recommended."

Per a CNN report, Tsunami waves have reached the US West Coast, along the Washington, Oregon and California coastlines.

The largest tsunami wave so far was observed at Arena Cove in California at 1.6 feet. 

Tsunami advisories remain in effect for the rest of the California coast, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Oregon coast, and Washington coast.

The first tsunami are reaching California with elevated water levels in Crescent City, in Northern California near the Oregon border, according to a CNN report. 

Per the report, wave of over 1 foot was observed, with more waves expected soon.

The city is located along a 100-mile stretch of Northern California’s coast that is under a highest level of tsunami warning. This area is reportedly under heightened tsunami risk because its unique underwater geography has the ability to “funnel wave energy,” according to the National Weather Service.

Peru issued a tsunami alert on Tuesday following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia, the Navy said.

It said analysis by the country's National Tsunami Warning Center "triggers a tsunami alert along the Peruvian coast".

"The event will be continuously monitored," the navy's Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation said on social media platform X.

The National Emergency Operations Center of the National Civil Defense Institute also said on X it was monitoring regions of the Peruvian coast.

An 8.8 magnitude undersea earthquake near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsulasent tremors across the Pacific early Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings from Japan and Hawaii to the US West Coast.

Edward Dowd, founder of Phinance Technologies, shared a video of a tsunami siren, saying that it is the first time he has faced such a situation after living in the area for over a decade.

In her 1999 manga 'The Future I Saw', Ryo Tatsuki predicted a major disaster in southern Japan on July 5, 2025.

A tsunami 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) high reached a port in Japan's northern Iwate prefecture at 1:52 pm (0452 GMT), Japan's weather agency said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency kept its tsunami alerts that waves of up to three metres (9.8 feet) were expected along Japan's Pacific coast, after a magnitude-8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.8 -- one of the strongest ever recorded -- struck Russia's sparsely populated far eastern Kamchatka peninsula early on Wednesday, causing strong tremors and tsunamis up to four metres (12 feet) across the Pacific.

Waves as high as 10 feet are expected to hit Hawaii following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia.

Tsunami alerts were issued across the Pacific after a massive earthquake rocked Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

"So far we have not seen a wave of consequence," Josh Green, governor of Hawaii said, but they have seen significant water recede, according to a BBC report.

Wave activity hasn't come past the island of Hawaii, he said, and they expect it will be at least two to three more hours until they can give the "all clear".

Tsunami wave that hit Hawaii was the tallest ones measured by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center recorded at Haleiwa, Oahu.

It was 4ft (1.21m) tall, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, with 12 minutes recorded in between waves.

A CNN report, citing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said that tsunami waves have begun hitting US shores with initial waves reaching Hawaii’s coastlines.

Water levels were recorded above 4 feet in Haleiwa, on the north shore of Hawaii’s Oahu island, according to the data.

The first tsunami waves have hit Alaska in United States, while waves are set to hit Hawaii any minute, according to a report by CNN.

The rest of the Western US states are also bracing for impact of Tsunami waves in the coming hours. 

Hawaii,  and parts of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and part of northern California are currently under most severe tsunami alert, while the rest of the US West Coast is under a less severe tsunami advisory.

Midway Atoll, a group of US islands about 1,000 miles northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands, observed a water rise upto 3.1 feet or about 1 meter according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

This is officially the highest tsunami observation over open water that we have seen in the Northern Pacific so far, according to a CNN report. 

The first tsunami waves are expected to hit Hawaii this hour.

A powerful earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific, including Alaska, Hawaii and the US West Coast.

Sea levels were seen receding in parts of Hawaii’s coastline as tsunami waves approach its islands. Webcam footages from the islands of Kauai and Oahu, home to the capital city of Honolulu, show the water levels dropping significantly in the last few hours.

A tsunami usually causes the ocean levels to drop unusually before main waves arrive.

Video shows water receding in Kahai, Hawaii. pic.twitter.com/7lcE6MEYCz

— 𝗔𝘀-𝗦𝗮م𝗮𝗱 (@AbdulSamad4X) July 30, 2025

Authorities in Russia's far eastern Sakhalin region declared on Wednesday a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands, where tsunami waves have damaged buildings and caused flooding.

"A state of emergency has been declared in the North Kuril District, where an earthquake and tsunami occurred today," the Sakhalin government said in a statement.

The mayor of Russia's northern Kuril islands district said Wednesday that "everyone" there had evacuated to safety following a tsunami which caused flooding and swept away buildings.

"Everyone was evacuated. There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated, all the people are in the tsunami safety zone," Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said at a crisis meeting with officials.

US President Donald Trump has asked the residents across Alaska and the Pacific Coast to stay "strong and safe" after a powerful 8.7 magnitude earthquake jolted Russia's Far East early on Wednesday, prompting a tsunami warning.

A  simulation conducted by Tohoku University shows how the tsunami propagates across the Earth's oceans. Japan is used as an example of Earthquake and Tsunami epicenter. This gives you a good indication on how long before it reaches California as well as South America. 

This simulation conducted by Tohoku University shows how the tsunami propagates across the Earth's oceans
Japan used as an example of Earthquake and Tsunami epicenter
This gives you a good indication on how long before it reaches California as well as South America… pic.twitter.com/J0JFX1PCQa

— Culture War Report (@CultureWar2020) July 30, 2025

The Pacific region is on tsunami alert after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern coast. Alaska and Hawaii, as well as the entire US West Coast, are bracing for violent waves.

A video appeared on social media which claimed to be from Russia's Kamchatka region when 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region. It shows doctors keeping calm during the powerful quake — and not stopping the surgery.

"They stayed with the patient until the end The patient is doing well," according to the Health Ministry

Doctors in Kamchatka kept calm during the powerful quake — and never stopped the surgery
They stayed with the patient until the end
The patient is doing well, according to the Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/swtdBFSpm5

— RT (@RT_com) July 30, 2025

The geophysical survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences released aerial footage showing tsunami waves reaching the country's Severo-Kurilsk after a powerful earthquake struck off sparsely populated Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday.

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, unleashing tsunami waves up to four metres high and leading to evacuation alerts across the Pacific.

Russian authorities said state of emergency has been declared on tsunami-hit islands.

Following 8.8 earthquake on Russia's far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, Japan issued evacuation warnings. The country’s weather agency said the first waves measuring 30cm reached the eastern coast of Hokkaido, after which people gathered at the rooftop of larger buildings in the area.

Rooftops fill in Japan as tsunami alerts spread
First waves are smaller than feared, but officials warn bigger ones could follow pic.twitter.com/qkorq9G0T7

— RT (@RT_com) July 30, 2025

Ecuador ordered preventive evacuations of beaches, docks and low-lying areas in the Galapagos Islands off its coast late Tuesday, after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia.

"A tsunami warning has been established for the Insular Region (Galapagos), which indicates the immediate suspension of maritime activities, as well as preventive evacuations of beaches, docks and low-lying areas," Ecuador's Secretariat for Risk Management said in a statement.

China's tsunami warning centre said Wednesday that waves of between 30 centimetres and one metre were expected to hit parts of the eastern seaboard after a magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

"Based on the latest warning and analysis results, the Tsunami Advisory Center of the Ministry of National Resources has determined that the earthquake has triggered a tsunami, which is expected to cause damage to certain coastal areas of China," the advisory centre said.

The Pacific region is on tsunami alert after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern coast. Alaska and Hawaii, as well as the entire US West Coast, are bracing for violent waves.

Evacuation centers were established across Hawaii as the state issued a tsunami warning following a magnitude-8.8 earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia.

Sirens were heard blaring across coastal areas of Hawaii as cars jammed island roads and businesses closed early amid the tsunami warning.

HAPPENING NOW: Traffic is gridlocked in Oahu, Hawaii as residents rush to get to higher ground.
The U.S. military is now assisting in islandwide tsunami evacuation efforts.
Kolekole Pass from Lualualei Naval Road to Lyman Road is now open civilian traffic.
“This route is now… pic.twitter.com/hQq2VR5APr

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 30, 2025

Tsunami waves in Russia's Severo-Kurilsk cause flooding off the shore.#Russia #Tsunami #Earthquake https://t.co/xtcHM1iG47 pic.twitter.com/PLtv9gMny5

— Vani Mehrotra (@vani_mehrotra) July 30, 2025

The Peru Navy said a Tsunami warning was issued in south American country after powerful quake off Russian coast.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami had been generated by the quake that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.

“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning stated. The first waves were expected around 7 p.m. Tuesday local time.

https://t.co/JTAr2tza9G

— Hawaii EMA (@Hawaii_EMA) July 30, 2025

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko. He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

The quake caused damage to buildings and cars swayed in the streets in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which also had power outages and mobile phone service failures. Russian news agencies quoting the regional Health Ministry saying several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported.

It’s still unclear how big the tsunami would be in any of these locations. But if there is a tsunami, these are the estimated arrival times from the US tsunami warning centers.

The first tsunami waves are already arriving in Alaska’s western Aleutian Islands.

Kodiak, Alaska, expected arrival time is around 12:20 a.m. ET.

Southeast Alaska expected arrival time is around 12:45–1:55 a.m. ET.

Hawaii expected arrival time is around 1:15 a.m. ET.

Washington and Oregon arrivals are expected to start between 2:35 and 2:55 a.m. ET.

Northern California arrivals are expected to begin 2:50 a.m. ET, reaching San Francisco Bay around 3:40 a.m. ET and Southern California coastlines around 4 a.m. ET.

🚨🌊 WATCH: Tsunami hits Severo-Kurilsk coast
📹 Social media users are sharing videos showing tsunami waves striking the coastal zone of Severo-Kurilsk, Russia, after a powerful earthquake off the Kamchatka coast. https://t.co/KGjkah43Xe pic.twitter.com/i8wa2FdKYi

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) July 30, 2025

Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest quake to hit the region since 1952.

"However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude," said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram.

“Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.”

The National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands, and a watch for portions of the West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington, and Hawaii.

The advisory also includes a vast swath of Alaska’s coast line, including parts of the panhandle.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 1 to 3 meters (yards) above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands. Waves of more than 3 meters (yards) were possible along some coastal areas of Russia and Ecuador.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami had been generated by the quake that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.

“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning stated. The first waves were expected around 7 p.m. Tuesday local time.

Tsunami alerts were issued across much of the Pacific on Wednesday after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's far east. A tsunami is a shock of water that spreads through the sea, usually triggered by a strong earthquake beneath the ocean floor.

The sudden, violent movement of the Earth's crust can thrust up or drive down a section of the seabed -- with the rift displacing vast quantities of water that move as waves.

Tsunamis radiate in all directions from their source and can cover enormous distances, sometimes at the speed of a jet plane.

They are a rare phenomenon but can create dangerously powerful currents and cause deadly flooding in coastal areas.

Mexico mobilized authorities at all levels of government to keep its population away from Pacific beaches due to a tsunami warning Tuesday, after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Russia.

The Mexican Navy warned that strong currents are expected at port entrances from Baja California in the northwest to Chiapas in the south of Mexico.

One of the world's strongest earthquakes struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that set off a tsunami in the northern Pacific region and prompted warnings for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand.

Tsunami alerts were issued across much of the Pacific on Wednesday after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's far east.

New Zealand authorities issued warnings of “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” along coastlines throughout the country. The alert by the government emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas, and away from harbors, marinas, rivers and estuaries.

New Zealand is in the South Pacific and about 6,000 miles from the epicenter.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake appeared to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the March 2011 earthquake off northeast Japan that measured 9.0 magnitude and caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a Fukushima nuclear power plant. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world.

The first tsunami from a huge earthquake off Russia's far east that sparked warnings around the Pacific was observed in northern Japan, measuring around 30 centimetres (one foot), broadcaster NHK reported.

The wave hit the main northern island of Hokkaido, with NHK warning that subsequent waves could be much higher.

Japan's weather agency said earlier that waves of up to three metres were expected all the way down the northern and eastern coasts of Japan, as far as Wakayama south of Osaka.

A tsunami hit Russia's far east coast on Wednesday, flooding a port town home to around 2,000 people, Russia's emergencies ministry said.

"The tsunami flooded parts of the port town of Severo-Kurilsk ... The population has been evacuated," the ministry said in a statement.

A video posted on Russian social media appeared to show buildings in the town submerged in sea water.

Workers at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan were evacuated Wednesday after an 8.7-magnitude earthquake off Russia's far east triggered tsunami warnings around the Pacific.

"We have evacuated all workers and employees" at the Fukushima Daiichi plant -- which went into meltdown after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 -- a spokeswoman for plant operator TEPCO told AFP, adding that "no abnormality" had been observed at the site.

One of the world's strongest earthquakes struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that set off a tsunami in the northern Pacific region and prompted warnings for Alaska, Hawaii and south toward New Zealand.

A powerful magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering a Pacific Ocean tsunami warning.

"Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 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. Please visit https://tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE," US President Donald Trump said in a post on X 

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's far east coast early Wednesday was the region's strongest since 1952, with aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude possible, the regional seismic monitoring service said.

"The strongest earthquake since 1952 has just occurred in the Kamchatka seismic zone ... Given the scale of the event, strong aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 should be expected," Kamchatka's geophysical service said on Telegram.