World
Strong earthquake and tsunami in Kamchatka. State of emergency declared on the Pacific coast
A powerful earthquake has struck off the coast of Kamchatka, triggering a tsunami. All coastal areas in the northern Pacific Ocean, including California, have been warned of waves up to three meters high.
According to preliminary data, there were no casualties. Kamchatka Territory Health Minister Oleg Melnikov said that several people were injured as a result of the earthquake.
Waves 3-4 meters high reached the eastern coast of Kamchatka. Videos have been circulating on the Internet showing how the tsunami flooded a factory on the coast.
The epicenter of the 8.7-magnitude earthquake was located about 150 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and the focus was at a depth of 17 km.
A tsunami warning has been issued for Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and the entire Pacific coast of North America.
Moreover, the US Tsunami Warning Center has announced that waves could reach the coast of South America, as far as Ecuador and Chile.
According to seismologists, this is the most powerful earthquake to hit the region since the 1952 earthquake and tsunami, when at least 2,000 people died in the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka.
