Overview

• The US Geological Survey upgraded the shallow offshore tremor to magnitude 8.7, locating its epicenter about 125 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 19.3 km.
• Tsunami waves of three to four metres struck the Kamchatka Peninsula and initial surges were recorded in Hokkaido and parts of Hawaii.
• Japan’s Meteorological Agency and US tsunami centers issued warnings for Japan’s Pacific coast and the Aleutian Islands, extended warnings for Hawaii, and a watch for the US West Coast.
• Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky reported structural damage, power outages and mobile service failures, but no immediate casualties have been confirmed.
• All workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were evacuated as a precaution, and emergency agencies continue to monitor aftershocks and evolving sea levels.