Russia’s Far East ‘land of fire and ice’ avoids major damage from 8.8-magnitude quake, tsunami

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW A powerful earthquake struck Wednesday off Russia s Far East coast flooding a fishing port with waves from a tsunami cutting power to a meager areas and sending a few panicked residents fleeing buildings but causing only a sparse injuries Regional functionaries say they were prepared for the -magnitude quake and the subsequent waves and moved hastily to keep residents safe They introduced a state of crisis in particular areas but noted there was no major damage In this image taken from a video published by Russian Crisis Ministry Press Organization rescuers inspect a kindergarten damaged by an earthquake in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Russia Wednesday July Russian Emergency Ministry Press Organization via AP Steller sea lions swim during a tsunami approaching the shore of the Antsiferov Island located in the northern Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk Russia Wednesday July AP Photo Nikita Sinchinov In this image taken from a video published by Geophysical Arrangement of the Russian Academy of Sciences shows the aftermath of tsunami hitting the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk at Paramushir island of Kuril Islands Russia Wednesday July Geophysical Utility of the Russian Academy of Sciences via AP The map above locates the epicenter of an magnitude earthquake in Russia that has triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean AP Graphic In this image taken from a video published by Geophysical Provision of the Russian Academy of Sciences shows the aftermath of tsunami hitting the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk at Paramushir island of Kuril Islands Russia Wednesday July Geophysical Facility of the Russian Academy of Sciences via AP In this image taken from a fixed position video peopel wave tsunami warning flags seen at the background to beachgoers immidiately after a strong earthquake near Russia s Kamchatka Peninsula in Shirahama Wakayama prefecture western Japan Wednesday July Kyodo News via AP People take shelter on the roof of a fire station in Mukawa town Hokkaido northern Japan Wednesday July after a powerful earthquake in Russia s Far East prompted tsunami alert in parts of Japan Kyodo News via AP This shows an empty beach in Shirahama Wakayama prefecture western Japan Wednesday July after beachgoers evacuated as a powerful earthquake in Russia s Far East prompted tsunami alert in parts of Japan Kyodo News via AP Motorists are turned away from a gas station that closed to allow employees to go home in Honolulu on Tuesday July following a tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday AP Photo Jennifer Sinco Kelleher During a tsunami advisory triggered by an underwater earthquake off the coast of Russia birds fly near a fisherman at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Tuesday July Scott Strazzante San Francisco Chronicle via AP During a tsunami advisory triggered by an underwater earthquake off the coast of Russia Gaby Lazlo and Daniel Ramirez visit Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Tuesday July Scott Strazzante San Francisco Chronicle via AP Washington state resident Poppy Mellon fills his car with jugs of water in preparation for the tsunami threat at the Kapolei Walmart Hawaii Tuesday July AP photo Michelle Bir Ewa Beach residents Carlo Salas and CJ Jasper with their families are evacuated at the side of Kunia Road to escape the tsunami threat Kapolei Oahu Hawaii Tuesday July AP photo Michelle Bir Oahu residents evacuate Ewa Beach to the side of Kunia Road due to the threat of tsunami in Kapolei Oahu Hawaii Tuesday July AP photo Michelle Bir Cars are at a standstill along the Pan-American Highway in Panama City Wednesday July following a tsunami warning after a earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday AP Photo Matias Delacroix Show Caption of In this image taken from a video distributed by Russian Urgency Ministry Press Facility rescuers inspect a kindergarten damaged by an earthquake in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Russia Wednesday July Russian Exigency Ministry Press Amenity via AP Expand Here is what to know about the Russian areas hit by the quake and tsunami Kamchatka peninsula Dubbed the land of fire and ice Kamchatka is one of the majority of working volcanic regions on Earth It has about volcanoes with of them still proceeding according to NASA s Earth Observatory Quakes and tsunamis regularly strike the peninsula that lies close to an ocean trench where two tectonic plates meet The -kilometer -mile -long peninsula nine time zones east of Moscow faces the Pacific Ocean on its east and the Sea of Okhotsk along its west coast Kamchatka and a meager nearby islands have a population of about with about of them living in the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Avacha Bay on the peninsula s southeast There are limited roads on the peninsula and helicopters are the only way to reach greater part areas Fishing is the main economic activity A major base for Russian nuclear submarines is located in Avacha Bay The tallest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka meters or feet the largest operational volcano in the Northern Hemisphere Observers heard explosions and saw streams of lava on its western slopes according to the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences geophysical facility Scientists have anticipated the eruption for several time with the volcano s crater filling with lava for weeks and the mountain emitting plumes of ash It last erupted in The Kuril islands The four volcanic islands known in Russia as the Kurils stretch between Kamchatka and the Japanese island of Hokkaido The islands were captured by the Soviet Union from Japan in the closing days of World War II Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands it calls the Northern Territories and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty The islands have a population of about and the local commercial sector is based on fishing The Russian military has bolstered its presence in the area refurbishing a Soviet-era air base and other outposts The impact of the quake and tsunami The bureaucrats on Kamchatka and the Kurils reported they have been prepared for a major quake for a long time and acted swiftly to protect the population The -magnitude quake centered about kilometers miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky struck at a m local time GMT Tuesday p m EDT Tuesday at a depth of about kilometers miles according to the U S Geological Survey Multiple aftershocks as strong as magnitude followed The earthquake appeared to be the strongest on record since the magnitude earthquake off northeastern Japan in March that caused a massive tsunami Only a sparse stronger earthquakes have ever been measured anywhere Regional government on Kamchatka disclosed several people were injured but they didn t elaborate Regional strength department chief Oleg Melnikov a limited injuries occurred during evacuations including a hospital individual injured while jumping out of a window All were in satisfactory condition he reported Video from Russian media displayed doctors on Kamchatka holding a recipient and medicinal equipment as an operating room shook during surgery The quake damaged a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky but no children were in the building which was closed for renovation Municipal workers inspected about apartment buildings and explained no evacuations were needed Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was protected from big tsunami waves by its location on Avacha Bay Exigency workers evacuated about tourists from a beach of black volcanic sand on the Pacific side Tsunami waves could have been as high as to meters to feet in specific sections of the Kamchatka coast Russia s Oceanology Institute declared noting the biggest were under meters about feet near populated areas of the peninsula and the nearby Kuril islands Leadership in Severo-Kurilsk the Kurils main city evacuated residents from danger areas to deeper inland Severo-Kurilsk Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov announced tsunami waves flooded the fishing port along with a fish factory and swept fishing boats out to sea Power was cut by the flooding with officials inspecting the damage Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted the quake warnings were issued in a timely fashion people were evacuated hastily and buildings withstood the shocks