Russian authorities on the fareastern Sakhalin Island and nearby territories have evacuated some 11,0000 residents from coastal areas in anticipation of tsunami waves unleashed by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off Japan’s northeastern coast.
The regional emergency officials said that the tsunami could hit several villages on Sakhalin. No damage from Friday’s quake was reported on the island.
Authorities on the Kamchatka Peninsula further north said the tsunami posed no danger to the area.
Kamchatka, which juts into the Pacific, is studded with active volcanoes, some of which were spewing gases to a height of up to 5,800 meters (over 19,000 feet) on Friday, prompting authorities to issue warning to planes in the area. Kamchatka volcanoes are part of the “Ring of Fire” string of volcanoes encircling the Pacific.
