Earthquake in Kamchatka on July 30: what is known by this hour

On Wednesday, July 30, the strongest earthquake since 1952 occurred in the Kamchatka Territory. According to various estimates, its magnitude reached 8.7 points. The epicenter of the quake was located 150 km south-east of the capital of the region, Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky, at a depth of 17 km. After the earthquake and tsunami, an emergency regime was introduced in the North Kuril region of the Sakhalin region. In addition, the Governor of the Sakhalin Region, Valery Limarenko, promptly held a meeting of the commission on emergency situations. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Earthquake in Kamchatka: what is known

On July 30, the strongest earthquake in recent decades occurred in the Far East. Initially, seismologists recorded a magnitude 7.1 earthquake 150 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky around noon local time (03:00 Moscow time).

Later, the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences clarified the data and reported that the actual magnitude could reach 8.7. The epicenter of the quake was at a depth of about 17 km, which increased the strength of seismic vibrations. During the next hour, experts recorded eight new earthquakes with a magnitude above 5, the strongest of which reached 5.8.

The tremors occurred at a depth of 7 to 100 km and were felt even in the capital of the region, where their strength did not exceed 3 points.

The threat of a tsunami in Kamchatka

A tsunami threat has been declared in coastal areas. According to the Vodopadnaya weather station in the Yelizovsky district of Kamchatka, waves up to 3-4 meters high were recorded.

The tsunami also hit the coast of North Kurilsk, where residents were promptly evacuated to safe hills. Seismologists warn that aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude are possible in the region over the next month.

Signals of possible waves of up to three meters were received by all coastal areas of the North Pacific Ocean, including the west coast of the United States up to California. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a warning about the risk of a tsunami caused by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka.

In Japan, the Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) energy company temporarily stopped the next stage of the discharge of purified water from the emergency Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant due to the threat of a tsunami. The country's Self-Defense Forces deployed fighter jets, patrol aircraft and helicopters to monitor the situation over the Pacific Ocean.

The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources has issued a warning about a possible tsunami caused by a strong earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka. This is reported by China Central Television, citing data from the Tsunami Monitoring and Warning Center. According to the ministry, tsunami waves may affect the coastal areas of Shanghai, the southern part of Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province, as well as the island of Taiwan.

Earthquake in Kamchatka: the reaction of local authorities

The authorities of the Kamchatka Territory have deployed a regional operational headquarters to coordinate the actions of all emergency services. Special attention is paid to monitoring residential buildings: if cracks or other damage posing a threat to safety are found, residents were promised temporary housing.

A hotline has been launched for the population of the Kuril Islands, where they can report damage, interruptions to public services and receive instructions from specialists.

Material reserves have been mobilized in the Sakhalin Region to eliminate the consequences of flooding in the North‑Kurilsk, including the restoration of the port and the provision of food. Additionally, working groups have been formed to promptly assess the damage and coordinate restoration work.

The consequences of the earthquake in Kamchatka

As a result of the powerful earthquake in Kamchatka on July 30, several people sought medical help, regional emergency services confirmed. A wall collapsed in the building of kindergarten No. 15 in Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky, no one was injured.

In the North‑In Kurilsk, on the coast of the Sakhalin region, powerful tsunami waves flooded the port and the territory of the fishing complex. It is estimated that significant damage has been caused, but the exact figures are being clarified by the local administration.

Internet connection failures were registered in Kamchatka, communication was interrupted in several settlements, however, all affected nodes were restored within a few hours.

The working day in the state institutions of the region was shortened: The institutions completed their work at 13:00 local time (04:00 Moscow time).

In Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky, ambulance crews received significantly more emergency calls than usual. The city Children's Polyclinic No. 1 was temporarily closed for a technical inspection of buildings and medical equipment.