Evacuation orders issued in Russia, US and Japan amid massive tsunami threat: Live Updates

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami alerts across the northern Pacific

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake, followed by powerful aftershocks, struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia on Wednesday, triggering tsunami alerts across several coastal regions in the northern Pacific.

The quake, which occurred around 11:30am local time approximately 136km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, was the strongest in the area since 1952, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The first tsunami waves have hit Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril Islands, with eyewitnesses saying a fish processing plant was washed away. The local port was also flooded, tearing ships from their moorings and sweeping them into the strait. A 3-4-meter wave was recorded in Kamchatka’s Elizovsky district, Emergency Situations Minister Sergey Lebedev said. He urged people to stay away from the coast.

READ MORE: Powerful earthquake in Russia’s Far East sparks tsunami alerts (VIDEOS)

Waves measuring around 30 centimeters were also observed along the coastline of Hokkaido in northern Japan, according to NHK, with the authorities warning that subsequent waves could be higher.

The US National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami advisory for the entire US West Coast, as well as parts of Canada and Alaska. Tsunami advisories are also in effect for the entire state of Hawaii.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released an interactive map showing the quake’s epicenter and the spread of tsunami warnings, advisories, and threats across the Pacific.