Indonesia issues tsunami warning after 8.7 quake hits eastern Russia

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a tsunami early warning on Wednesday morning following a powerful tectonic earthquake with a magnitude of 8.7 that struck the eastern coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

According to BMKG’s Earthquake and Tsunami Center Director, Daryono, the earthquake had the potential to trigger tsunami waves of less than 0.5 meters in several parts of Indonesia.

Areas under alert include the Talaud Islands, where waves were expected at 2:52 p.m. Central Indonesian Time (WITA), Gorontalo City at 4:39 p.m. WITA, and North Halmahera at 4:04 p.m. Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT). Other affected areas were Manokwari, Raja Ampat, Biak Numfor, Supiori, North Sorong, Jayapura, and Sarmi, with estimated wave arrivals between 4:08 and 4:30 p.m. WIT.

Daryono urged residents in coastal regions to remain calm and avoid the shoreline until further official announcements are made. As of now, no damage to buildings or infrastructure has been reported in Indonesia.

An update of the earthquake’s parameters placed the epicenter at 52.51 degrees North Latitude and 160.26 degrees East Longitude, at a depth of 18 kilometers.

The quake resulted from subduction activity in the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench and was classified as a thrust fault event.

Daryono also reported that BMKG had recorded seven aftershocks in the region by 8:30 a.m. WIB, with magnitudes ranging between 5.4 and 6.9.

BMKG advised the public to rely solely on official information from the agency and avoid being misled by unverified sources.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) noted that the earthquake also posed a tsunami threat to several other regions, including Russia, Japan, Alaska, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Guam.

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