Tsunami hits Russia and Japan; reports of heavy damages, America warned

MOSCO: One of the world's strongest earthquakes struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that set off a tsunami in the northern Pacific region and prompted warnings for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand.

Tsunami warning sirens blared Tuesday in Honolulu and people moved to higher ground.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami measuring 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was detected in Tokachi, on the southern coast of Hokkaido, the northernmost of the country's main islands.

A video shows the tsunami already reaching Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka, Russia, following the massive earthquake pic.twitter.com/G3mLFUk5dn

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Local residents have been evacuated. There are reports of heavy damages. Images of the tsunami are circulating on social media.

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake was reported in Russia. This area is about 250 km from Japan. Several small earthquakes were reported in Russia in July. Authorities have warned that a tsunami of up to three meters is possible along the Pacific coast of Japan.

The National Weather Service has also issued a tsunami warning for Hawaii in the United States. US President Donald Trump has advised everyone to be safe. The Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) said that an 8.8 magnitude earthquake has struck. However, no tsunami threat warning has been issued for India or the Indian Ocean.