WRAP: Huge quake rocks Russia's Far East, triggering tsunami warnings around Pacific

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: Drone footage showed tsunami waves flooding the Russian coastal town of Severo-Kurilsk after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the country’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday (July 30).

Reuters was able to confirm the location by buildings, water body and terrain which match with satellite images. Reuters was able to confirm the date with corroborating local reports and official statements. (3644-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-DRONE)

Verified by:

- Buildings, water body and terrain match with satellite images

- Date was confirmed by the corroborating local reports and official statements

SEVERO-KURILSK, SAKHALIN REGION, RUSSIA (JULY 30, 2025) (KAMCHATKA BRANCH OF THE GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES - No Resale / No Archive / Must on-screen courtesy Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences) (MUTE)

1. DRONE FOOTAGE OF FLOODING IN AREA OF SEVERO-KURILSK / WAVES COMING IN

Panicked sea lions dived into the sea as quake hit the island of Antsiferov just off the shores of Russia's Kamchatka peninsula.

The island is known as a natural habitat for Steller sea lions, a large, near-threatened species of sea lion. (3704-RUSSIA-QUAKE/SEA-LIONS)

ANTSIFEROV ISLAND, KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA (JULY 30, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

2. SEA LIONS DIVING INTO SEA DURING ROCK FALL FROM CLIFFS DURING EARTHQUAKE

A chef at a local restaurant in Paramushir, in the Severo-Kurilsk District on Wednesday (July 30) describes the moment the earthquake hit, saying it was "scary" and "extreme." (3684-RUSSIA-QUAKE/SEVERO-KURILSK-EYEWITNESS)

SEVERO-KURILSK, PARAMUSHIR ISLAND, RUSSIA (JULY 30, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI SURVIVOR, CHEF AT LOCAL RESTAURANT, ROMAN KRIPAKOV, SAYING:

"I was in the kitchen; I work as a cook at a tourist place in Paramushir. It all started shaking, the shelves in the kitchen started trembling. Together with my colleagues, we turned everything off and ran outside. We saw everything trembling. The brick pipes were just melting and disappearing from the roofs. Everything - tarmac, ground, buildings was just going in waves. It lasted for about two minutes, after that we immediately evacuated to a safe place."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI SURVIVOR, CHEF AT LOCAL RESTAURANT, ROMAN KRIPAKOV, SAYING:

"It's scary, it's extreme and you understand that the nature can intervene and it's tough for humans."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI SURVIVOR, CHEF AT LOCAL RESTAURANT, ROMAN KRIPAKOV, SAYING:

"By the way, it's now shaking as well (LOOKS TO HIS SIDE), I'm near a building now."

Future aftershocks can be as strong as the earthquake itself struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday (July 30), director of the Baikal branch of the Federal Research Centre of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences Elena Kobeleva said. (3699-RUSSIA-QUAKE/SCIENTIST)

IRKUTSK, RUSSIA (JULY 30, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIRECTOR OF THE BAIKAL BRANCH OF THE FEDERAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF THE UNIFIED GEOPHYSICAL SERVICE OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ELENA KOBELEVA, SAYING:

"Kamchatka peninsula is situated in the area where two geological plates collide. So, there are two oceanic crusts that are diverging at speed of 8 meters per year, as I remember. That’s why it is to be expected, and it is predictable that earthquakes happen in this zone of subduction. And aftershock were, are and will be in this region."

9. WHITE FLASH

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIRECTOR OF THE BAIKAL BRANCH OF THE FEDERAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF THE UNIFIED GEOPHYSICAL SERVICE OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ELENA KOBELEVA, SAYING:

"Aftershock sequences can happen. Even in several cases it can last for decades and for years. For example, Khövsgöl earthquake in 2021. Until now we observe the aftershocks."

Eyewitness video captured sirens echoing through Honolulu on Tuesday (July 29) as a tsunami warning was announced.

"There are the boats heading out of the marina," said social media user Jason A in a video he posted on his X account showing yachts sailing away from the Hawaiian capital, adding that Ala Moana Beach Park was evacuated and the parking lot was empty.

Reuters was able to confirm the location by buildings and the shoreline which match file and satellite images. Reuters was able to verify the date by the metadata of the original file. (3705-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-HAWAII-YACHTS-UGC)

Verified by:

- Buildings and the shoreline match file and satellite images

- Date confirmed by the metadata of the original file

HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2025) (JASON A - No Resale/No Archive/Must on screen courtesy Jason A.)(ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT)

11. BUILDINGS AND SHORE AS THE SIRENS WAIL IN THE BACKGROUND

12. BOATS LEAVING HARBOUR, EYEWITNESS JASON A AUDIO SAYING (English):

“All boats heading out. It’s 6:30 and we've been watching - I just got home. 3 hours traffic. There are the boats heading out of the marina. They evacuated, HP evacuated, Ala Moana beach park. So there's the beach as it stands right now. The parking lot is completely empty. Let's see how this goes. Front row seat!”

A timelapse graphic showed on Wednesday (July 30) the movement of tankers out of Honolulu Harbour in Hawaii, following a tsunami warning and a subsequent order for shipping to leave the harbour. (3696-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-TANKERS)

HONOLULU HARBOUR, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2025) (MARINETRAFFIC.COM - No archive /no resales/ Must courtesy MARINETRAFFIC.COM) (MUTE)

13. TIMELAPSE GRAPHIC OF TANKERS LEAVING HAWAII AFTER TSUNAMI WARNING (DATE ON MARINE TRACKER SCREEN IS IN UTC / DATE ON SLATE AND IN SHOTLIST IS IN GMT)

A beach in Hawaii’s Honolulu was seen mostly deserted on Tuesday (July 29) ahead of an expected tsunami, following a massive earthquake in Russia's Far East that has triggered evacuation alarms in several countries. (3631-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-HAWAII-BEACH)

HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2025) (ABC AFFILIATE KITV - No use USA / No archive) (PART MUTE)

14. BEACHFRONT

15. WAVES ROLLING IN SEA

16. (MUTE) WAVES ROLLING IN SEA

17. (MUTE) PEOPLE WATCHING FROM BALCONY

18. VARIOUS OF EMPTY STREETS

19. SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE SITTING AT BEACH

A Reuters journalist and eyewitness in Hawaii described being worried and concerned on the holiday island on Tuesday (July 29) after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far East triggered tsunami warnings. (3649-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-HAWAII-EYEWITNESS)

HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

20. ALERT WARNING ON PHONE

21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 48-YEAR-OLD REUTERS JOURNALIST AND EYEWITNESS, NICHOLA GROOM, SAYING:

“But we didn't know what was going to happen. We didn't know if perhaps the ocean front would be seriously compromised, if we could lose power or water or have infrastructure be disrupted. We were concerned about all of that."

A major tsunami is not expected to strike the U.S. state of Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said in an update late on Tuesday (July 29). (3682-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-HAWAII-NEWSER MORE)

HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2025) (HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY - Must on screen courtesy Hawaii Emergency Management Agency)

22. (SOUNDBITE)(English) ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE STATE OF HAWAII, STEPHEN LOGAN, SAYING:

"Hey, good evening. Aloha and thank you for your patience. Hey, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has downgraded the forecast from a tsunami warning to a tsunami advisory. The PTWC continues to monitor for more data to update its forecast and for an all-clear that they may issue later on. A tsunami advisory means that the potential for strong currents or dangerous waves is expected or occurring for those in or near the water. There may be flooding of beach or harbour areas. Those who have evacuated may safely return home based on county assessments and directives."

Night fell in Honolulu on Tuesday (July 29) as residents continued to brace for a possible tsunami following a powerful earthquake in Russia’s Far East that has triggered evacuation alarms in several countries. (3638-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-HAWAII-BEACH-MORE)

HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2025) (ABC AFFILIATE KITV - No use USA / No archive) (NIGHT SHOTS)

23. BEACH

24. VARIOUS OF WAVES WASHING ONTO SHORE

25. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN BALCONIES

26. VARIOUS OF ROAD WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC

Liu Xin, an assistant professor at the Department of Earth And Planetary Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, said the quake’s rupture extended up to 200 km (124 miles) along the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. This order of rupture length is comparable to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, but "smaller, definitely smaller," Liu said.

The earthquake followed a magnitude 7.5 foreshock recorded 10 days earlier. Liu likened the tectonic buildup to a sponge being squeezed over decades. (3688-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-SEISMOLOGIST)

ZHUHAI, CHINA (JULY 30, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

27. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, LIU XIN, SAYING:

"And after 70 years or so, the elastic energy of the sponge gets so big that it overcomes the frictional force between the North American Plate and the subducting Pacific Plate. So it bounces back and generates this earthquake. As a result of this sponge bouncing back, it can generate a lot of changes in the seafloor depths. So the seafloor rises and generates strong tsunami waves as it bounces back."

Japanese residents evacuated to higher ground on Wednesday (July 30) after a tsunami alert was issued following a massive earthquake off Russia's Far East.

Three tsunami waves had been recorded in Japan, the largest of which was 1.3 meters (4.3 feet), officials said. (3642-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-JAPAN-RESIDENTS)

HOKKAIDO, JAPAN (JULY 30, 2025) (NNN / JAPAN - No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from NNN.)

28. VARIOUS OF AERIAL VIEW OF WAVES CRASHING ONTO SHORE

MIURA CITY, KANAGAWA, JAPAN (JULY 30, 2025) (NNN / JAPAN - No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from NNN.)

29. CAR DRIVING UPHILL, VEHICLES PARKED BY ROADSIDE

30. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) RESIDENT EVACUATED TO HIGHER GROUND, NAME UNKNOWN, SAYING:

“I heard the (tsunami) warning at work as my workplace is by the beach. My co-workers told me to come home because I have a small child, and she was waiting at home, so I came to pick her up.”

HOKKAIDO, JAPAN (JULY 30, 2025) (NNN / JAPAN - No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from NNN.)

31. AERIAL VIEW OF WAVES CRASHING ONTO SHORE

Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant, operator TEPCO said on Wednesday (July 30) after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami warnings.

The nuclear plant was the site of a meltdown following the March 11, 2011, earthquake, when more than 15,000 people died after a 9.0-magnitude tremor triggered a massive tsunami that tore through the plant and caused a radioactive disaster. (3668-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-FUKUSHIMA FILE)

FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN (FILE - AUGUST 27, 2023) (FOREIGN POOL - Access all)

32. VARIOUS OF STORAGE TANKS FOR TREATED WATER IN FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR PLANT

33. STAFF MONITORING SCREEN (TOP) SHOWING DECLINING LEVEL OF TREATED WATER REMAINED IN TANK, AND SCREEN (BOTTOM) SHOWING WATER LEVELS IN OTHER TANKS

34. CHARTS SHOWING WATER LEVELS IN OTHER TANKS

35. PUMPS TO EXTRACT OCEAN WATER AND MIX IT WITH TREATED RADIOACTIVE WATER BEFORE RELEASING IT INTO OCEAN

Oceans were calm along parts of the California and Hawaii coasts on Wednesday (July 30) after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Russia triggered tsunami scares internationally. (3718-RUSSIA-QUAKE/TSUNAMI-SAN DIEGO-MAUI)

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 30, 2025) (SAN DIEGO WEB CAM - No resale / No archive / Must not crop / Must on-screen courtesy San Diego Web Cam) (MUTE)

36. VARIOUS OF CALM WATER

MAUI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2025) (MAUI LIVE CAM - No resale / No archive / Must not crop / Must on-screen courtesy Maui Web Cam) (MUTE)

37. CALM WATER