PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, July 30. /TASS/. Authorities in the Kamchatka Region have declared a regional state of heightened alert following an earthquake, a necessary measure in order to conduct mandatory inspections, the local government reported on their official website.
"I propose introducing a regional state of high alert. The goal is to restore all the damaged systems, conduct additional inspections and mobilize necessary personnel and resources under a simplified procedure so that municipalities can promptly contract for the required assessments. All emergency services now need to be operating in an elevated capacity," the statement quotes Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov.
The emergency response commission unanimously approved the implementation of the high-alert regime. Municipalities are required to inspect the readiness of temporary shelters. Additionally, authorities will launch public awareness campaigns on safety protocols to follow in the event of an emergency caused by heightened seismic activity, aiming to improve regional safety.
Earlier, the local authorities declared a state of emergency in Severo-Kurilsk in Russia’s Sakhalin region due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
A strong earthquake occurred in the morning near the shores of Kamchatka, with its magnitude reaching 8.8 according to various estimates. It became the strongest earthquake since 1952. Later, seismologists recorded strong subsequent earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1-5.8. A tsunami wave reached Japan. The port of Severo-Kurilsk in the Sakhalin Region and a fishing enterprise were flooded.