New Delhi, July 30 -- A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering widespread tsunami warnings across the Pacific region, including Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and parts of the US West Coast.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred off the Far East coast of Russia, sending fears of tsunami waves as high as 13 feet (4 metres) crashing into the Kamchatka shoreline. The tremor was shallow, making it particularly dangerous and capable of generating destructive waves.

Authorities in multiple countries, including Russia, Japan, and the United States, have begun evacuating coastal residents. People have been urged to move to higher ground amid concerns about aftershocks...