With tsunami waves striking Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's northern island of Hokkaido following a powerful 8.7 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Far East, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has confirmed there is no tsunami threat to India or the Indian Ocean region.
In an update posted on X, INCOIS stated, "NO TSUNAMI THREAT to India and Indian Ocean in connection with this earthquake."
It added that its Tsunami Warning Centre had detected an 8.7-magnitude earthquake at 04:54 IST on 30 July 2025 (29 July, 23:24 UTC), located off the East Coast of Kamchatka (coordinates: 52.57°N, 160.08°E).
Evacuations In Russia And Japan
The earthquake, one of the strongest globally since Japan’s devastating 2011 quake, triggered immediate tsunami warnings. Japan’s Meteorological Agency confirmed that a 30 cm wave had reached Nemuro on Hokkaido’s eastern coast. Damage and evacuations were also reported in Russia’s Kamchatka region.
The first tsunami wave was reported to have hit Severo-Kurilsk, the main town in Russia’s Kuril Islands. Regional Governor Valery Limarenko said residents were safe and had moved to higher ground as a precaution.
According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, waves of 1 to 3 metres were possible in parts of Hawaii, Chile, Japan, and the Solomon Islands, while waves over 3 metres were possible near Russia and Ecuador.
Earlier in July, the Kamchatka region experienced five undersea earthquakes, the largest measuring 7.4 magnitude at a depth of 20 km, reinforcing the area's reputation as one of the world's most active seismic zones.