First tsunami wave strikes Russia’s Pacific Coast following 8.8-magnitude earthquake

The first tsunami wave struck the coastal zone of Severo-Kurilsk following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Kamchatka. The quake was possibly the sixth largest in recorded history, according to The New York Times. Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko reported on his Telegram channel that locals are sheltering on higher ground until officials lift a warning of follow-up waves.

According to emergency services, the disaster flooded the city itself and the fishing company Alaid. A kindergarten wall collapsed on the Kamchatka Peninsula, though no one was inside at the time. Russia’s Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Agency recorded a tsunami wave reaching Kamchatka at a height of four meters (about 13 feet).

Russia’s emergency ministry reported only minor injuries from the quake, while scientists warn that aftershocks with magnitudes up to 7.5 could continue for a month.