Drone footage captures devastation caused by tsunami at Russian port

Russia’s emergency ministry said that a tsunami hit Russia’s far east coast, flooding part of the port town of Severo-Kurilsk.

A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit Russia’s far east coast, triggering tsunami waves that flooded a portion of the port town of Severo-Kurilsk in the Sakhalin Region. Drone footage has surfaced on social media capturing the devastation left in the wake of what could be called one of the strongest quakes in modern history.

Tsunami waves flood an area after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. (via REUTERS)

The drone footage, which is now shared by many across various social media platforms, shows the port flooded and damaged.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, a fourth wave of tsunami has hit the Russian port town. However, according to the mayor of the Severo-Kurilsk region, Alexander Ovsyannikov, it was a weak one. The mayor added that the third wave caused significant damage.

“The most serious was the third wave, which did a lot of damage. It damaged the port infrastructure; the entire small fleet was pulled out to sea, it is now hanging around in the strait, some of the ships were washed ashore,” he said.

There are no reports of casualties. After the powerful earthquake, a tsunami alert was issued for Severo-Kurilska, and people were evacuated away from the tsunami-hazardous zone.

Reuters reported that the waves in the Russian Pacific town of Severo-Kurilsk went as big as five meters, citing Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.

What is a tsunami?

A tsunami is a series of waves triggered by underwater volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and submarine landslides. During this natural disaster, multiple waves rush ashore like a fast-rising tide.

Though most earthquakes don't cause tsunamis, those above the magnitude of 7.0 can trigger one, and quakes above 8.0 pose immediate threats.