Earthquake, tsunami: Chile upgrades its tsunami warning to red | Highlights

According to AP, Chile has upgraded its tsunami warning to red for most of its pacific coast. 

Chilean President Gabriel Boric has warned people, asking them to follow instructions from the officials. "Remember that the first wave is usually not the strongest... Let’s act calmly and follow official instructions," he said.

Chilean authorities have said that they are evacuating people from coastal areas in view of the earthquake, report AP. 

An earthquake of 8.8 magnitude hit Russia on Wednesday, triggering massive tsunamis in the region, including the US West Coast, Canada and Japan. The quake affected millions of people, but just one death was reported in Japan. Click here to read more.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has said that a threat of a major tsunami hitting the United States has "passed completely".

"We’re in really good shape right now," Noem said, as reported by AP. "We were fully deployed and ready to respond if necessary, but grateful that we didn’t have to deal with the situation that this could have been."

Chile upgraded its tsunami warning to the highest level early Wednesday for most of its lengthy Pacific coast following a powerful earthquake, reports AP.

According to AP, tsunami waves reached 10 to 15 metres in some areas of Kamchatka coast. However, only limited damage was reported in most of the Russian regions.

According to AP, Japan has downgraded its last remaining tsunami alert. However, tsunami alert remains for Japan's Pacific coast.

The Russian authorities have cancelled tsunami warning for two regions - Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kiril Islands, reports AP.

The National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska has issued a tsunami warning for California, Washington and Oregaon, and the Pacific Coast in Canada. 

Hawaii and parts of Japan downgraded their tsunami warnings to advisories after a powerful earthquake, reports AP. 

Japan on Wednesday reported the first casualty after a woman lost her life in the incident. According to The Japan Times, a woman lost her life after her car "went over a cliff" while she was on her way to an evacuation centre in Kumano.  

There is no tsunami threat to the Indian coast following the 8.7 magnitude earthquake off the East Coast of Kamchatka in Russia, the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) here said on Wednesday. "Based on pre-run model scenarios, there is no threat to India," the centre said in a bulletin issued in the morning. No further bulletins will be issued by ITEWC-INCOIS unless other information becomes available, it said. The ITEWC-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is located at Pragati Nagar in New Delhi.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told evacuees in the tsunami-affected areas that they might not be able to return home by the end of the day on Wednesday. Hayashi said waves could remain high for at least one day, and he urged evacuees to take precautions and stay well hydrated in the summer heat.

Air travel is facing severe disruptions across Hawaii and the US West Coast after tsunami warnings were issued throughout the Pacific in the wake of a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's eastern coast. According to FlightRadar24, flights bound for Honolulu are being delayed, cancelled, or diverted mid-air. Tracking data shows that several planes en route to Hawaii from major cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Vancouver were forced to turn around as a precaution. Airlines like Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines have temporarily suspended some departures, rerouted in-flight services and are urging passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport.

Authorities in a number of small island nations in the South Pacific Ocean urged people to stay away from coastlines, familiarize themselves with evacuation routes and await further guidance from officials, but did not order evacuations. Some tiny and low-lying Pacific island chains are among the world’s most imperiled by tsunamis and rising seas. Cautions to stay away from beaches until any wave surges passed late Wednesday were issued by officials in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands.

A tsunami warning of up to 3 meters has been issued along Japan's Pacific coastline, stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Wakayama in the south, as per a report by NHK world. Authorities have urged residents in affected areas to remain evacuated and not return until all warnings are officially lifted. Tsunami waves have already been observed across a wide area along the coast. Notably, a 1.3-meter wave was recorded at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture. Emergency officials continue to monitor the situation closely and are emphasising the importance of staying alert and following official guidance until the threat has fully passed.

Tsunami waves have reached the US states of Hawaii and Alaska after a massive earthquake strike Russia. Authorities confirmed the arrival of waves along parts of both coastlines, prompting emergency responses and alerts across multiple regions.

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nearly 2 million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast as of midday Wednesday. It added that one person was slightly injured on the northern island of Hokkaido when a woman in her 60s fell while rushing to evacuate. She was taken to a hospital.

A state of emergency has been declared in Russia's northern Kuril Islands after tsunami waves were seen flooding a port town, as per local media reports. The declaration was issued by authorities in the Sakhalin region as they respond to the unfolding situation.

In Hawaii, emergency authorities blast alerts to people's cellphones, on TV and radio and sound a network of sirens. In Alaska, some communities have sirens and information is also available on weather radio or public radio broadcasts. Official accounts on social media and cellphone push alerts spread the word. In some places, local officials have relayed warnings door to door. Earlier this month, after another earthquake off Alaska's Aleutian Islands, public safety departments in King Cove and Unalaska sent alerts urging those in coastal areas or those that could see inundation to seek higher ground.

Tsunamis are waves triggered by earthquakes, underwater volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides. After an underwater earthquake, the seafloor rises and drops, which lifts water up and down. The energy from this pushes sea water that transfers to waves. Many people think of tsunamis as one wave. But they are typically multiple waves that rush ashore like a fast-rising tide.

Sendai Airport in Japan has closed its runway following a tsunami warning, which led to the cancellation of several flights. The disruption primarily affected flights arriving at and departing from Sendai Airport. In response, airlines are implementing special measures for ticketing and passenger assistance.

A tsunami of less than 30 centimeters (under 1 foot) was forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island in western Canada late Tuesday. The British Columbia provincial emergency preparedness agency said “multiple waves over time” were expected on the British Colombia coast. The agency said local governments should consider evacuating marinas, beaches and other areas near the ocean.

There were long lines at gas stations in an inland neighborhood near downtown Honolulu, with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline. One Texaco gas station closed early so that workers could go home. The workers set out cones at pumps and turned away motorists.Jimmy Markowski, on a family vacation from Hot Springs, Arkansas, ended up at the closed Texaco station after fleeing their Waikiki beach resort in a caravan of three cars carrying 15 people. “All we’re trying to do is just figure out what we’re going to do for the next 3 or 4 hours,” he said. “We’ve got water, we got some snacks ... we’re going to stay elevated. This is our first tsunami warning ever. So this is all new to us."

The US is bracing for a possible tsunami impact within hours after the National Weather Service's Tsunami Warning Center issued a watch for California's coast. The alert follows a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s Pacific coast. Authorities warned that tsunami waves could begin reaching the Bay Area's western shoreline as early as 12:15 to 12:30 am on Wednesday. Coastal residents are being urged to stay alert and follow updates from local officials.

Tsunami waves measuring 60 centimetres (2 feet) have reached Hamanaka town in northern Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate on Japan's main island, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The wave height marks an increase from the earlier recorded 50-centimetre waves, signalling a rising tide along the affected coastline.

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday morning, making it the strongest earthquake recorded in the region since 1952, according to Russian authorities. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the epicentre was located 133 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, at a depth of 74 km beneath the surface. Visuals from the region revealed frightening scenes, with buildings shaking violently, furniture tossed around, and residents fleeing in panic. While many structures reportedly withstood the tremors, the interiors of homes and offices were heavily disturbed, and several aftershocks followed. However, no reports of injuries or fatalities have surfaced so far.

Click to read the full story

China's Tsunami Warning Centre, under the Ministry of Natural Resources, has issued a tsunami alert for sections of the eastern coastline, including Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces. The forecast warns of potential waves ranging from 0.3 to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet) as Typhoon CoMay moves closer to the region.

The Russian areas nearest the quake's epicentre on the Kamchatka Peninsula reported damage and evacuations, but no serious injuries. Hawaii and Oregon warn residents of potential damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami had been generated by the quake that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.

The National Weather Service's Tsunami Warning Centre has reported that tsunami waves could begin reaching the west coast of California's Bay Area around 12:30 am today (local time). This follows a powerful 8.7 magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s Pacific coast. "TSUNAMI WATCH in effect for the California coast. Estimated time of arrival as early as 12:15 AM on July 30. People along the coast: Stand by for further updates," the NWS said in its advisory. 

More than 9,00000 residents across Japan were placed under evacuation advisories after a tsunami warning was issued, according to the country's Fire and Disaster Management Agency. The alert affected people living in 133 municipalities stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, all situated along Japan’s Pacific coast. So far, there have been no confirmed reports of injuries or property damage. Authorities have not disclosed how many residents actually evacuated to designated shelters.