Solodov wrote on his Telegram channel: “This is the strongest earthquake in the entire time period, with a magnitude of 8.8. Regular aftershocks are expected for extended periods.” Solodov urged the region’s residents to remain calm and not panic, assuring them that operational services are working in an enhanced mode and urged them to trust only official information. The Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences confirmed that 30 noticeable aftershocks have been recorded in the region following the main earthquake, with intensities ranging between 2 and 5 degrees. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a tsunami wave with a height of 50 centimeters hit Ishinomaki Port, a major port in Miyagi Prefecture on the east coast, noting it as the highest wave recorded so far. The Tsunami Warning Center in China issued a “yellow” warning of the risk of a tsunami in the eastern mainland areas of China and Taiwan, following a strong earthquake off the Russian Kamchatka coast. China’s Central Television channel reported from the Tsunami Warning Center that the earthquake may have caused a tsunami wave expected to reach the coast of Shanghai and south of Zhoushan city in Zhejiang Province, and east of Taipei and several other areas. Pacific countries and surrounding areas are preparing for a possible tsunami, with some already reporting the arrival of the first waves to their shores, after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the eastern coast of Russia. This earthquake is the strongest on earth since 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan, and is the sixth strongest earthquake ever recorded.
