8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia: Companies evacuated, airport closed

(Dan Tri) - An 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) triggered a tsunami, causing flooding in some places and forcing Japan to issue an emergency coastal evacuation order.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred at 11:24 a.m. on July 30 (6:24 a.m. Hanoi time) with the epicenter at a depth of 19 km under the seabed, about 136 km east of Petropavlovsk city on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East.

The earthquake damaged many houses and triggered a tsunami in some areas of Russia's Far East. The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said the tsunami flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, which has a population of nearly 2,600.

The Japanese government has set up an emergency committee to gather information and coordinate response measures. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has been briefed directly on the situation.

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) has suspended some services following an earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka. All workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan were evacuated on July 30 following a warning.

A representative of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant's operator, told AFP: "All employees have been evacuated. No abnormalities have been detected at the facility." The plant suffered a serious accident after the 2011 tsunami.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) also issued a warning for the entire state of Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

Commercial flights at Hilo International Airport have been suspended to assist with emergency evacuations from surrounding areas, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation.

Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach hotel, located on the shores of Kailua Bay, is now closed and is evacuating all guests to Kealakehe High School, located further north inland, a hotel spokesperson told CNN.

Tsunami floods the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, Russia (Photo: RIA Novosti).

Vladimir Solodov, governor of Kamchatka (Russia), urged people not to go near the coast. "A tsunami warning has been issued and the wave intensity is being determined. I urge people to stay away from the coast in tsunami-prone areas and obey announcements on loudspeakers," he said.

Russian media reported that some people were injured by the earthquake, but none were serious.

In Japan, a 30cm high tsunami wave was reported in Hokkaido. Residents in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Rausu Town, Hokkaido Prefecture; and Oamishirasato City, Chiba Prefecture were evacuated to higher ground due to the tsunami risk.

Tsunami warnings have also been issued for parts of the United States, Ecuador, Indonesia and the Philippines. Waves of 1-3 meters (3-10 feet) are possible along some coasts of Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia and other Pacific island groups.

"This is the strongest earthquake in Kamchatka since 1952," the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicenter of the quake was similar to the magnitude 9.0 quake that triggered a devastating tsunami across the Pacific in 2011.

At least six aftershocks shook the area, including those measuring 6.9 and 6.3 magnitude.

The Kamchatka Peninsula and Russia's Far East lie on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of ​​intense geological activity, with frequent large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/dong-dat-88-do-ngoai-khoi-nga-loat-cong-ty-so-tan-khan-san-bay-dong-cua-20250730125945316.htm