A major earthquake, initially measured between 7.7 and 7.9 magnitude, struck Kamchatka on July 30, triggering a tsunami and prompting evacuations. The effects were felt across the region, including Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, with reports of damage and tsunami warnings issued for Japan and Alaska.

Local authorities are urging residents in tsunami-prone areas to stay away from the coastline and heed official announcements. The governor of the Kamchatka Territory, Vladimir Solodov, confirmed that the region experienced the strongest tremors in a decade.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a wall collapsed in a kindergarten, though fortunately, no one was inside at the time. Specialists have begun inspecting buildings for structural damage and preparing to provide temporary housing if needed.

The governor of the Sakhalin region, Valery Limarenko, announced evacuations to higher ground due to the tsunami threat. Eyewitness accounts describe the earthquake lasting for an extended period, causing shaking furniture, broken shop windows, and falling ceiling panels.

A tsunami with waves measuring 3-4 meters was recorded in the Yelizovsky district of Kamchatka. The first tsunami waves reached the shores of Severo-Kurilsk in Sakhalin, with reports of water reaching a fish processing plant.

Following the initial earthquake, another tremor with a magnitude of 8.5 occurred in Kamchatka. A tsunami alert is in effect for the entire Kuril Islands chain.

Japan has issued a tsunami warning for waves up to 3 meters high, and a tsunami threat has been declared for Alaska by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.