Honolulu prepares for tsunami after 8.7 magnitude earthquake off Russia

Tsunami warning sirens blared in Honolulu as the Honolulu emergency department called for the evacuation of some coastal areas after a powerful magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula.

“Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,” the Honolulu department of emergency management said in a social media post.

The massive quake struck on Wednesday, generating a tsunami of up to 4 metres (13 ft), damaging buildings and prompting evacuation warnings in the area and across most of Japan’s east coast, officials said.

The US tsunami warning system issued a warning of “hazardous tsunami waves” within the next three hours, and a watch was also in effect for the US island territory of Guam and other islands of Micronesia.