Kamchatka was hit by the most powerful earthquake in 70 years: tsunami reached the US

According to Russian sources, the epicentre of the tremors was located near the town of Severo-Kurilsk, where the first to feel the powerful ground shaking was. According to preliminary estimates by seismologists, the magnitude was up to 7.9 points.

Eyewitnesses report that at the moment of the earthquake, furniture shook, goods fell from the shelves of shops, car alarms went off. In some districts of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the intensity of the tremors reached 7-8 points.

Vladimir Solodov, Governor of the Kamchatka Territory, called the incident the most powerful seismic event in the last ten years. He emphasised that there was a tsunami threat in the region and urged residents to stay away from the coastline and listen carefully to loudspeaker announcements. It also became known about damage to the Rodnichok kindergarten in Severo-Kurilsk - part of the building's facade collapsed, but no one was inside as the institution was under repair.

In neighbouring Sakhalin Oblast, evacuation of people from potentially dangerous areas has begun. Governor Valery Limarenko said that the emergency services were fully operational and assured that the situation was under control.

The US and Japanese authorities have also issued official warnings about a possible tsunami. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared a threat to the coast of Alaska, and the Japanese meteorological agency - to their country. According to Russian media, the first waves have already reached the shores of Severo-Kurilsk. In addition, the wave has reached Japan, where several whales were thrown ashore due to the tsunami, as well as the coast of Hawaii.

Later, a new earth tremor with a magnitude of 5.8 was recorded in Kamchatka. Rescue services continue to work in conditions of increased seismic activity.