A powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia late Tuesday, prompting widespread tsunami warnings across the Pacific region&mdash;including Japan, the United States, and the Philippines.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially recorded the quake at 8.0 magnitude, later upgrading it to 8.7 following updated seismic data. The quake occurred at 23:24 GMT, with its epicentre 125 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and at a shallow depth of 19.3 km, making it more likely to produce destructive waves.
Within minutes, Japan&rsquo;s Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency issued tsunami alerts. Sirens were sounded across Hawaii, with the first wave expected at 7:10 PM HST. In Japan, emergency protocols were activated in Hokkaido and surrounding regions. The Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office emphasised life-saving coordination with local authorities.
In Russia&rsquo;s Kamchatka region, tremors caused structural damage and panic, as social media footage captured violent shaking and damaged interiors. Emergency services remain on high alert.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) also warned of possible tsunami surges of less than 1 meter along its Pacific coastlines, urging people to avoid beaches and monitor unusual sea activity.
Located on the volatile Ring of Fire, the Kamchatka region is no stranger to seismic activity. Aftershocks are likely, and authorities urge residents in vulnerable coastal areas to move to higher ground and stay away from the shore until further notice.
Governments across the Pacific continue to track tsunami wave activity, updating residents hourly.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Tsunami warnings issued across Japan, US, Russia, and the Philippines after powerful quake

Massive 8.7 Quake Triggers Pacific Tsunami Alert

Tsunami warnings issued across Japan, US, Russia, and the Philippines after powerful quake

July 30, 2025 | 09:04 IST