The tsunami alerts are starting to be lowered or deactivated in Russia, the US, and Japan hours after their urgent issuance following the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that occurred at 1:25, Spanish peninsular time, in the sea off the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula, in the Russian Far East. The earthquake, the most powerful since 2011 and the fifth on record, was located 18.2 kilometers deep.
Thousands of people have been evacuated in western Russia, with reports so far only mentioning several injuries in Kamchatka, where the alert has already been lifted. Four large waves caused by the earthquake flooded the coast of one of the northern Kuril Islands, Paramushir, without causing casualties, according to local authorities. In total, around 2,700 people have been evacuated on this archipelago.
Mass evacuation of two million people in Japan, where citizens went to evacuation centers in the affected areas in Japan, with the memory still fresh of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. This Wednesday, unlike then, there are no reported damages to nuclear power plants.
In the United States, the only part of the coast still under a tsunami alert - the highest level - is in northern California. Authorities issued tsunami alerts for various areas in Alaska, the Hawaiian archipelago, and the island of Guam, alerts that have been gradually lowered.
Kliuchevskoi Volcano Erupts After Powerful Earthquakes in Kamchatka
The Kliuchevskoi, the tallest active volcano in Eurasia, has erupted after the two powerful earthquakes that shook the Kamchatka Peninsula hours earlier, as reported by the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "Right now, Kliuchevskoi is erupting," it indicates on its Telegram channel, where it posted a photo and a video taken by a seismic station near the volcano.
According to the source, "a flow of molten lava is observed on the western slope" accompanied by "great luminosity and explosions" on the volcano. This 4,800-meter-high volcano has a main crater with a diameter of around 700 meters, as well as around 80 fumaroles on its slopes. It is located 30 kilometers from the town of Kliuchi in the Ust-Kamchatski district, where around 4,500 people live.
Kamchatka, home to nearly 130 volcanoes - around thirty of which are active - has been affected by two earthquakes that forced local authorities to declare a tsunami alert in several Russian coastal regions.
Tsunami Alert Canceled in California, USA
The National Tsunami Warning Center has lifted the tsunami alert for the coast of California, from the Mexican border to Rincon Point.
Japan Lowers Tsunami Alert Level but Continues to Recommend Population Stay Away from Coastal Areas
Japanese authorities decided on Wednesday to lift the tsunami alert along its entire Pacific coast that was activated after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka (Russia), although they continue to recommend caution to the population. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reduced the alert to a "tsunami risk advisory" that had been activated along the entire coastal area from Hokkaido (northern Japan) to Kyushu, the largest southwestern island that makes up the Japanese archipelago, following the aforementioned earthquake.
The JMA, however, recommended that the population remain cautious and stay away from coastal areas while these warnings remain in effect.
Several People Injured in Kamchatka
The regional office of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies in Kamchatka warned that scientists expect aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude. More tsunamis are possible in Avacha Bay, where the regional capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is located.
In the city, the earthquake caused damage to a kindergarten that was not open due to renovation work. Oleg Melnikov, head of the regional health department, explained that several people were injured while running out of buildings, and a hospitalized patient was injured while jumping out of a window. All the injured were stable, he added.
A video posted by a Russian media outlet showed a team of doctors at an oncology clinic in Kamchatka holding a patient and grabbing medical equipment as the earthquake shook an operating room before continuing with the surgery once the shaking stopped.
The Earthquake Did Not Affect Japanese Nuclear Power Plants
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated on Wednesday that no problems have been detected in the safety of the nuclear power plants located along the Pacific coast of Japan following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula.
"The IAEA is in contact with the national authorities of Japan regarding the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia and the resulting tsunami. Initial reports indicate that there is no impact on the safety of nuclear power plants along the Pacific coast," the UN nuclear agency stated in a message on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, TEPCO, has evacuated around 4,000 workers from that plant and the neighboring Fukushima Daini plant after a tsunami alert was issued.
Additionally, the company has suspended the discharge of treated water into the ocean, following established safety protocols, as reported in a statement.
Russia Lifts Tsunami Alert in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands
Russian authorities have canceled the tsunami alert in the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands, but warn of the risk of waves in coastal areas.
The earthquake recorded in Russia, with a magnitude of 8.8 and at a depth of 20.7 kilometers, is the eighth largest in magnitude recorded in the world, surpassed this century by the one that occurred in Tohoku (Japan) in 2011, which reached 9.1.
Andalusian Government Maintains Its Agenda in Japan
The spokesperson for the Andalusian Government and Minister of Economy, Finance, and European Funds, Carolina España, has indicated that the planned agenda for the entire day has been able to proceed, with four meetings with important companies, so the situation in Tokyo is "relatively normal," although, logically, there is "concern about the news reaching us." She also added that Andalusians "are not accustomed to these phenomena."
The forecast for Thursday is to take a train to Kyoto, where the signing of "an agreement between business parks" is scheduled, and initially, "the agenda will be maintained," according to España, who also pointed out that they will be attentive to possible changes in case the alert situation requires the event to be canceled.