Tsunami Waves Hit Japan, Russian Islands After Massive 8.7-Magnitude Quake Off Russian Coast
TOKYO/VLADIVOSTOK – A powerful and shallow 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Far East on Tuesday, unleashing a destructive tsunami that has slammed into coastal areas of northern Japan and Russia’s Sakhalin and Kuril Islands, triggering widespread evacuation orders and emergency responses.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the major quake occurred in the Sea of Okhotsk, a region known for its seismic activity. The quake’s immense power, originating at a relatively shallow depth, was the catalyst for the tsunami waves that raced across the North Pacific.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued immediate and urgent warnings for coastal regions in the quake’s vicinity. In Russia, waves reported to be as high as 4 meters (13 feet) struck several of the sparsely populated Kuril Islands, causing significant flooding and damage to port infrastructure. Emergency services in the Sakhalin Oblast were scrambling to evacuate residents from low-lying coastal zones.
“The priority is the safety of the population,” Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement. “Rescue teams and military units have been mobilized to assist with evacuations and assess the damage in the affected territories.”
In Japan, the nation’s stringent tsunami warning system was activated moments after the quake. Sirens blared across the northern island of Hokkaido, with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issuing a major tsunami warning for its northern and eastern coasts.
Waves between 1 and 3 meters (3-10 feet) were reported to have hit coastal towns like Nemuro and Kushiro. Public broadcaster NHK showed live footage of water surging into harbors, inundating coastal roads, and sweeping away cars and fishing skiffs. The force of the water was seen pushing inland, flooding homes and businesses in low-lying areas.
“The shaking was long and violent, but our immediate fear was the water,” said a resident of Nemuro who had evacuated to higher ground. “We’ve drilled for this since 2011. You don’t wait, you just run.”
The event has drawn chilling parallels to the devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, a memory seared into the nation’s consciousness. In response, Japanese authorities acted with practiced urgency. Bullet train services in the region were immediately suspended, and coastal highways were closed as citizens were urged to seek shelter on high ground or in designated evacuation centers.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office immediately established an emergency task force. “The government is doing everything in its power to grasp the situation, provide accurate information to the public, and, above all else, save lives,” Kishida told reporters in Tokyo. “We are working closely with local authorities on rescue and relief efforts.”
Tsunami advisories were also issued for other parts of the Pacific, though the primary impact appears to be concentrated in Russia and Japan.
As night falls in the region, authorities in both nations face the daunting task of assessing the full scale of the destruction. Communication with some of the more remote Russian islands remains difficult. For Japan, the focus is on search and rescue operations in the flooded coastal areas and ensuring the safety of thousands of displaced residents. The threat of powerful aftershocks remains, keeping the entire region on high alert.
