Tsunami hits Japan’s Hokkaido, Russia’s Kuril islands after 8.8 quake; injuries reported

News Desk

30 July 2025, 07:37 AM IST

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 1 to 3 meters above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands.

TV shows news flash after a powerful earthquake in Russia’s Far East prompted tsunami warnings in parts of Japan | AP

Tokyo, Japan: A tsunami struck coastal regions of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido and Russia’s Kuril Islands early Wednesday following a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake near the eastern coast of Russia, reported AP.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency has also issued a tsunami warning, upgrading expected wave heights to three meters. Authorities warned that tsunamis may strike repeatedly and urged residents to stay away from coastal areas until the warning is lifted.

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko. He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

The first tsunami wave, measuring around 30 centimetres (one foot), was observed in northern Japan, national broadcaster NHK reported. The wave hit Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. NHK warned that subsequent waves could be much higher.

The weather agency said tsunami waves of up to three metres were possible along a wide stretch of Japan’s northern and eastern coastline, from Hokkaido down to Wakayama, south of Osaka.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 1 to 3 meters above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands. Waves of more than 3 meters were possible along some coastal areas of Russia and Ecuador.

In Russia’s Far East, several people were reported injured due to the earthquake, according to state media. Kamchatka region health minister Oleg Melnikov said all injured individuals are in satisfactory condition, and no serious injuries have been reported so far.

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