Massive Earthquake Strikes Kamchatka

A powerful “magnitude 8.8 earthquake” hit off Kamchatka on July 30, 2025, making it one of the strongest quakes ever recorded.

The epicenter was about 120–130 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a shallow depth of around 20 km.

It occurred along the highly active Kuril–Kamchatka arc.

Historic Scale

This is the region’s strongest quake since “1952, when a magnitude ~9.0 event” caused deadly tsunamis.

Globally, it ranks among the top ten most powerful earthquakes.

Local Damage & Evacuations

Tsunami waves up to “4 m” hit parts of the Kuril Islands, flooding Severo-Kurilsk and forcing thousands to evacuate.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, “houses shook”, items fell, and power and mobile outages occurred, though only minor injuries were reported.

Widespread Tsunami Alerts