MOSCOW: Russian state television aired dramatic footage of tsunami waves crashing through coastal towns in the far east on Wednesday following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. The megaquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka peninsula, triggering tsunami alerts across the Pacific region.
In Severo-Kurilsk, a town of 2,000 residents located 350 kilometres southwest of the epicentre, waves up to four metres high submerged the local fishing plant and reached a World War II monument 400 metres inland. Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov confirmed evacuations were completed successfully. “Everyone was evacuated. There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated, all the people are in the tsunami safety zone,“ he said during a crisis meeting.
A Russian Geographical Society expedition on nearby Shumshu island lost their camp to the tsunami. Group member Vera Kostamo described the chaotic escape: “When the wave hit, all we could do was run to higher ground. It’s very difficult to do that in boots on slippery grass and in fog.” She added, “All the tents and structures were swept away by the wave, and our belongings were scattered across the beach for hundreds of metres.”
Authorities in Sakhalin region declared a state of emergency as seismic monitors warned of potential aftershocks reaching 7.5 magnitude. The earthquake was recorded as the region’s strongest since 1952. – AFP
