Srinagar, July 30 -- At 8:25 a.m. Japan time, the earth jolted beneath the North Pacific with ferocious intensity. Initially recorded as an 8.0-magnitude quake, the U.S. Geological Survey later revised the figure to 8.8, with a shallow depth of 20.7 kilometers (13 miles), amplifying its destructive potential. The epicenter lay just 119 kilometers (74 miles) southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 180,000 people on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.
Damage was reported across the region, including swaying cars, power outages, and communication disruptions. Several residents sought medical attention, but authorities confirmed no serious injuries. The coastal settlement of Severo-Kurilsk was hit by the first tsunami wave, prompting evacua...