Massive 8.8 earthquake triggers tsunami waves and global alerts across Pacific nations and islands.
Japan, Hawaii, Chile, and others issue evacuations as powerful waves flood coastal communities.
A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, generating tsunami waves of up to 4 metres (13 feet) and prompting evacuation orders and tsunami warnings across the Pacific, including in Japan, Hawaii, Mexico, Ecuador, China, and Chile.
The quake, which occurred at a shallow depth of 19.3 kilometers, was centered 119 kilometers southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of over 160,000 people. It is the most powerful earthquake to hit the region since 1952, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Authorities in Russia’s Sakhalin and Kamchatka regions reported flooding in coastal areas. Waves inundated the port of Severo-Kurilsk, damaging a fish processing plant and sweeping vessels from the docks. Several buildings were affected, including a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. However, there have been no reports of fatalities, though several people sustained injuries during panic evacuations.
“This was the strongest earthquake we’ve seen in decades,” Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted to Telegram. The regional health ministry confirmed that some people were injured, including one individual who jumped out of a building window during the tremors.
Footage from Japan’s public broadcaster NHK showed people evacuating coastal areas, with some gathering on rooftops in Hokkaido. Japan’s eastern seaboard, still scarred by the 2011 tsunami disaster, was placed on high alert, and operations were suspended at select Nissan factories. TEPCO also confirmed that staff were evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear plant as a precaution.
In Hawaii, the US Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours, and the Department of Emergency Management in Honolulu issued an urgent warning: “Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected.”
The US Tsunami Warning System projected waves exceeding 3 metres along some Russian and Hawaiian coasts. Other Pacific regions, including Ecuador, Chile, Costa Rica, and the Solomon Islands, were warned to expect waves ranging between 1 and 3 metres. Smaller waves were anticipated along the US West Coast, including California and Alaska.
US President Donald Trump issued a public safety statement: “A Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
According to Danila Chebrov, Director of the Kamchatka Geophysical Survey, the characteristics of the epicentre reduced the expected surface shaking despite the quake’s magnitude. “Aftershocks are ongoing, but we do not expect stronger tremors in the near term,” he added.
Kamchatka, located on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, regularly experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity. This latest event serves as a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters and the importance of rapid emergency response.
Authorities across the Pacific remain on high alert as aftershocks and secondary waves continue to pose risks in multiple countries.
