A massive earthquake struck the Kamchatka coasts in the Far East of Russia. The U.S. Geological Service initially gave the magnitude 8.0, but later doubled its value, yet to 8.8. The shocks caused a tsunami of 3-4 metres and forced authorities to issue warnings for nearly the full Pacific. respective people were injured and buildings in the region were damaged.
The epicentre was located about 125 kilometres southeast of Pietropawłowska Kamczaki, the capital of Kamczaki Country - Pietropawłowska Kamczaki, and the hypocenter was little than 19.5 km deep.
According to the agency Reuters, politician of the Vladimir Solodow Region stated that this was the strongest earthquake since 1952.
Russian emergency services reported that respective people suffered insignificant seismic shocks.
Tsunami hit the coast
Regional Minister for Emergency Situations Sergei Lebiedev reported that any parts of the peninsula had a tsunami of 3-4 metres. Local authorities called on residents to leave the coast of Kamchatka.
The evacuation order was taken over by the town of Siewiero-Kurilsk on the island of Paramushir, located south of the peninsula.
According to the USGS, which first stated that the main shock had a magnitude of 8.0, and later doubled its value, yet to 8,8, after the main shock followed a series of secondary shocks. The strongest of them reached 7.0.
Japan manages evacuation
The tsunami warnings were issued by the nipponese Meteorological Agency, and NHK tv reported that the government in Tokyo ordered the evacuation of any areas. The evacuation included, among others, Fukushima atomic power plant, which suffered a major accident as a consequence of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
There was radioactive contamination at the time. Secretary of the nipponese government Yoshimas Hayashi assured that no harm or irregularities had been reported in any of the nipponese atomic power plants. Kyodo's agency reported that for a while the flight stopped nipponese railways.
Warnings throughout the Pacific
Tsunami warnings were issued to the coasts of many Pacific countries.
These included the Philippines, Indonesia, Guam Island and the Marian archipelago in the western Pacific and states on the east ocean coast - from Canada and the US, through Mexico to Ecuador. Evacuation from any coastal areas was ordered in Hawaii.
The Honolulu Emergency Management Office called on low-lying residents to decision to higher-lying areas or higher-story buildings.
In fresh Zealand, more than 10,000 kilometres from Kamchatka, the office for managing natural disasters warned against "strong and different currents and unpredictable waves".
The Wellington authorities stressed that there is no immediate request for evacuation, but citizens should "stay distant from beaches and coastal areas".
On Sunday, July 20, a series of tectonic shocks occurred on the east coast of the Kamchatka peninsula, the strongest of which had 7.4 magnitude.
Pacific ringing of Fire
The Russian Far East is part of the Pacific ringing of Fire, a very seismically active part of the planet at the interface of 2 tectonic plates. According to the USGS since 1900 off the coast of Kamchatka there were 7 earthquakes of magnitude 8.3 or greater.
The strongest were the shocks of November 4, 1952, which had a magnitude of 9.0.
(PAP) Note: This article was edited with Artificial Intelligence.
