Tsunami warning sparks mass evacuation on Easter Island after Kamchatka quake

Chilean authorities have called on residents of Easter Island to evacuate to safe zones amid a tsunami warning triggered by a powerful earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

The National Emergency Office of Chile issued the alert after an 8.8 magnitude quake struck Russia, Caliber.Az reports.

The Chilean Navy’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service announced a tsunami threat to Easter Island, urging inhabitants to move to safety.

Tsunami waves are expected to arrive at 09:25 local time. Experts classify the threat as a “medium-sized tsunami.”

Waves are forecast to reach mainland Chile from 14:51 local time, where evacuation measures will also be implemented.

Meanwhile, over 130 aftershocks have been recorded in Kamchatka within 12 hours of the initial earthquake, according to the Telegram channel “Kamchatka No.1.”

Some aftershocks reached a magnitude of 6.3, with tremors felt in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky registering between three and four on the local intensity scale. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev