Japan and the US have issued tsunami warnings after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Russia on Wednesday.
Official evacuation orders have been issued to people on the Pacific coast of Japan and in Hawaii.
The first tsunami waves, at 30cm high, arrived in the northern coast of Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture before 10.40 local time (02.40 BST), Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. Waves at 40cm high have been observed in Tokachi, in Hokkaido.
US authorities have issued a tsunami warning for Hawaii, which warns it could face “destructive” 3-meter high waves. A tsunami watch has been issued for Alaska.
Waves of 1-3 meter (3.3 to 10 feet) high could threaten the US island territory of Guam, according to the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which is based in Honolulu.
The magnitude has been revised to 8.8, after an earlier measurement of 8.7.
The Japanese government has issued an evacuation order to people on the Pacific coast, saying: “Damage due to tsunami waves is expected. Evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas to a safer place such as high ground or an evacuation building.
“Tsunami waves are expected to hit repeatedly. Do not leave safe ground until the warning is lifted,” it added.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said authorities were “working to access the situation”, adding that any relief efforts will “put human lives first”.
There was no confirmation of any damage so far, Ishiba said.
In Hawaii, officials have ordered an “immediate evacuation” of large parts the island Oahu, including the state capital Honolulu.
“Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves are expected,” Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management says in alerts on social media.
A tsunami with a wave height of 3-4 meters was recorded in parts of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in its Far East, Russian officials said.
A tsunami is a series of powerful waves and can cause significant damage.
The tsunami warning was triggered by a powerful earthquake which struck about 126km (78 miles) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, at a depth of 18 kilometres, according to the United States Geological Survey.
In Russia, the tremor generated a tsunami of 3-4 metres in Kamchatka, according to Sergei Lebedev, the regional minister for emergency situations.
There were no injuries, but a kindergarten was damaged, according to preliminary information, Lebedev added.
“Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,” Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app.
By BBC News
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