Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted just hours after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia early Wednesday. The massive quake had triggered tsunami warnings in parts of Hawaii, California, Alaska, and Japan.
Initially reported as a magnitude 8.0, the earthquake was later upgraded to 8.8, making it the sixth strongest ever recorded. Numerous aftershocks could also be felt afterwards, some as strong as 6.9.
The last quake of comparable strength was the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit northeastern Japan in March 2011, triggering a nuclear disaster.
The epicenter was in Kamchatka, a peninsula on the far east side of Russia.
In Kamchatka’s regional capital, the powerful quake damaged a local kindergarten, which fortunately was empty at the time as it was under renovations.
The head of the regional health department, Oleg Melnikov, said multiple people were injured during the evacuation process. One hospital patient also hurt themselves while jumping out of a window.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.
One video shared by media outlets showed a group of doctors holding a patient at a cancer clinic as the earthquake shook the operating room. They eventually continued with the surgery after the quake stopped.
Officials had warned that the 8.8 quake could last for several hours and advised people to move away from the shore.
In Japan, numerous people ran to evacuation centers and rooftops, the horrors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami still fresh in their minds.
Meanwhile, evacuation orders were in place in several regions of the U.S. West Coast.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem told reporters they were “fully prepared to respond if necessary,” but expressed gratitude that that wasn’t necessary.
Fortunately, no major damage was reported.
Later in the day, the tsunami warnings in Japan and Hawaii were also downgraded.
About Klyuchevskoy
Klyuchevskoy is located in Kamchatka, approximately 280 miles north from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The volcano, which stands at 4,750 meters, last erupted in June 2023.
For weeks, scientists have been monitoring the volcano’s crater; they noticed it had gradually filled with lava, which could lead to a potential eruption.
Ash plumes could also be seen coming from the mountain.
On Wednesday afternoon, ash plumes from the volcano went up to 1.9 miles above sea level.
Kamchatka, also known as “the land of fire and ice,” is one of the most seismically active volcanic regions in the world, with hundreds of volcanoes, more than two dozen of which are active.
