8.8 quake off Kamchatka sparks Pacific-wide tsunami warnings; Hawaii, Japan on high alert, Fukushima workers evacuated. Photo/X.
A strong earthquake of magnitude 8.8 hit off off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula prompting tsumami warning and alerts across several countries. Several coastal areas in US have been alerted for impending tsunami with Hawaii expected to to be affected most.
Simmilarly alerts and warnings have been issued in Japan also. Workers at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were evacuated on Wednesday.
“We have evacuated all workers and employees,” a spokesperson for Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), which operates the Fukushima plant, told AFP. The spokesperson added that there was “no abnormality” detected at the site.
The Fukushima facility is known for infamous 2011 nuclear disaster after a tsunami hit the plant and caused three reactors to melt down. It still remains under close observation.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa on Wednesday confirmed there were no signs of damage, irregularities, or injuries at the plant in the wake of the latest quake.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged residents in threatened areas to evacuate immediately to higher ground or safe shelters.
A dedicated task force was set up at the prime minister’s office at 9:40am to coordinate emergency response efforts. Ishiba instructed officials to provide timely, accurate information to the public and to work closely with local authorities to implement safety measures.
The US Tsunami Warning System issued alerts across the Pacific, warning of “hazardous tsunami waves” expected within three hours of the quake. It predicted waves over 3 metres for Russia and Ecuador, with heights between 1 to 3 metres potentially impacting Japan, Hawaii, Chile, and the Solomon Islands.
US President Donald Trump also acknowledged the tsunami threat in a social media post, confirming Hawaii was under alert due to the “massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean.”
“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!” he wrote.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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