(MENAFN) A powerful earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, prompting widespread tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific region, according to reports.

The tremor occurred approximately 119 kilometers southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of around 20.7 kilometers. Experts indicated the quake was the most powerful to impact the area since the early 1950s.

Due to its shallow origin and strength, the earthquake had the potential to produce significant ocean waves. According to officials, it was powerful enough to generate a tsunami.

In a public message, Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov remarked that the quake "was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors."

Reports indicated that multiple individuals sustained injuries in Kamchatka. The regional health minister confirmed that while several were hurt, "All patients are in satisfactory condition. No serious injuries have been recorded at the moment."

Approximately 2,700 residents from the Kuril Islands were relocated to safety following the tremor, according to updates.

A tsunami warning led to an evacuation order in Severo-Kurilsk, located in the Sakhalin region. The town experienced flooding after waves swept into parts of the city, as noted by emergency authorities. A state of emergency was declared in the area shortly afterward.

Emergency services continue to monitor the situation as aftershocks and additional wave activity remain possible.

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