Kamchatka: Head of the Tsunami Laboratory at the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Igor Medvedev, reported that the recent earthquake in the Kamchatka region was the most powerful recorded during the entire monitoring period. The significant seismic activity triggered a tsunami in the region as well as in the nearby Sakhalin province.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Medvedev explained that the tsunami waves along the Kamchatka coast might have reached heights of 10-15 meters. A rapid assessment using numerical modeling was conducted to understand the tsunami’s propagation and height in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

The largest tsunami waves were observed near the epicenter, particularly on the coast of southeastern Kamchatka and the northern Kuril Islands. Reports from eyewitnesses indicated that the waves exceeded six meters in several locations, including Kamchatka and the village of Severo-Kurilsk.

Authorities in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk immediately issued alarms and advised residents in high-risk areas to evacuate. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake, the strongest recorded in the region, struck off the coast of Kamchatka this morning.

The Department of Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring documented a tsunami wave of up to four meters in height in the area. The city of Severo-Kurilsk was submerged, prompting a state of emergency. The Kamchatka Regional Health Ministry reported injuries due to the tremors, though none were severe. Aftershocks are expected throughout the month, with some possibly reaching a magnitude of 7.5.

A tsunami warning has been extended to the entire east coast of Japan and the US states of Alaska, California, and Oregon.