KABUL (Pajhwok): A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake has struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday. A tsunami, with waves reaching heights of 3-4 metres, has been recorded in parts of Kamchatka in Russia.

The first waves, measuring 30cm (12in), have reached a city in Hokkaido, northern Japan, and authorities have warned that subsequent waves could be larger, according to the BBC.

Evacuations are currently underway in Japan, Hawaii, and some parts of the US West Coast. Authorities have issued evacuation orders in response to the tsunami threat, urging residents to remain calm and follow instructions.

Hawaii's Governor Josh Green has urged residents to heed evacuation orders and remain calm.

In addition to Hawaii, the US has issued a series of alerts of varying levels along North America's west coast, as well as for the US island territory of Guam and other islands in Micronesia.

Three tsunami waves have hit the Russian port town of Severo-Kurilsk, with the final wave damaging port infrastructure and pulling several moored ships out into the straits. The third wave was described as“powerful”, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

Earlier reports indicated that the waves had flooded parts of the town. Residents have gathered on a hill and will remain there until the tsunami threat has passed, TASS said.

Japan's evacuation warnings now cover hundreds of kilometres along a wide stretch of its Pacific coast, from Hokkaido in the north to Wakayama prefecture in the south. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that tsunami waves could reach heights of up to 3 metres.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, has confirmed that all workers have been evacuated, adding that no abnormalities have been reported so far. The plant had suffered a nuclear meltdown in 2011 following a massive earthquake and tsunami.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has stated that a task force is in place to assess the situation and reiterated warnings for those in the affected areas.

Speaking to the BBC's Newsday programme earlier, Helen Janiszewski, Assistant Professor of Geophysics and Tectonics at the University of Hawaii, remarked that today's earthquake ranks among the ten most severe in recorded history.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), with a magnitude of 8.8, it is tied for the sixth most severe earthquake in history, alongside the 2010 earthquake in Biobío, Chile, and the 1906 earthquake in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.

The USGS notes that the Chile earthquake, which occurred offshore near the city of Quirihue, killed 523 people and destroyed more than 370,000 homes.

The Ecuador earthquake, also known as the Ecuador-Colombia earthquake, generated a powerful tsunami that killed 1,500 people and reached as far north as San Francisco.

PAN Monitor/sa

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