Evacuations underway in Hawaii, Japan, and Russia amid tsunami warning; Fukushima nuclear workers evacuated

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's Far East triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific, prompting evacuations from Kamchatka to Hawaii.

A major earthquake of magnitude 8.8 hit the Far East of Russia early Wednesday, off the Kamchatka Peninsula, shaking the Pacific region and sending out tsunami warnings in the Pacific Basin.

Evacuations occurred in Japan and Hawaii, while officials warned of possible destructive waves. (UnSplash)

The US Geological Survey registered a shallow tremor and said it had the power to cause waves of up to 13 feet (4 meters) to crash into the Kamchatka coast.

This caused mass evacuations and tsunami warnings in Russia, Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and the West Coast of the United States.

Authorities in these regions are urging coastal residents to move to higher ground immediately amid fears of additional waves and aftershocks.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov called it a “serious and the strongest in decades.” He confirmed that a kindergarten in the region suffered damage, but, fortunately, no injuries or deaths have been reported so far.

Severo-Kurilsk, a remote town on a small island right south of Kamchatka, was one of the most severely damaged regions. Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko ordered the evacuation of residents as a precautionary measure.

Fukushima workers evacuated amid tsunami threat, facility reports no abnormalities

Meanwhile, the Japanese Meteorological Agency elevated the tsunami warning, warning that waves taller than 10 feet (3 meters) high may hit most of the eastern coast of the Japanese island.

The agency reported that the waves could hit Japan between 0100 and 0230 GMT. According to NHK, the country's national broadcaster, evacuation orders have already been issued for some coastal towns and cities.

Even workers at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a site that experienced a meltdown in 2011 after a devastating quake and tsunami, were evacuated as a safety measure. “We have evacuated all workers and employees,” a TEPCO spokesperson told AFP. “No abnormality” was detected at the facility.

Meanwhile, in Hawaii, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management urged coastal residents to evacuate, warning of possible “destructive tsunami waves” following the earthquake. “Take action!” the department posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“The National Weather Service has issued a TSUNAMI WARNING. A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger,” the US' NWS alerted.