An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.7 rocked Kamchatka. Despite its immense power and the threat of a tsunami, most buildings withstood the tremors, with only some facades collapsing. Crucially, there were no human casualties. However, significant damage occurred in Severo-Kurilsk, where the port and coastal infrastructure were swept away, and fish processing facilities were damaged.
This earthquake marked the most powerful recorded in the region in 73 years. Tremors of such magnitude typically cause widespread destruction, injuries, and fatalities. Yet, in Kamchatka, nearly all structures remained standing, and remarkably, there were no casualties. Minor issues included a few medical calls, partial facade collapses, evacuations, temporary power and mobile internet outages, as well as traffic jams and queues in stores. Overall, despite its record-breaking intensity, the impact was minimal, highlighting the high level of preparedness among the local population.
On July 30th in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, an unusual sight unfolded: a bell tower swayed from the earthquake. In the background, a man, praying, continued to film on his phone, capturing the orderly evacuation of people from a building near a church via a fire escape. Similar calm and organization prevailed across all businesses and offices that day.
Local residents, accustomed to frequent earthquakes (the previous one, measuring 6.0, occurred just 10 days earlier on July 20th), are well-versed in how to react during such events. Although scientists predicted a weaker aftershock, this earthquake proved significantly stronger and lasted for several minutes.
Following the earthquake, many sought medical attention, reporting arrhythmias, high blood pressure, and panic attacks. Inside the new airport building, as the cladding loudly cracked, people scattered in fear. One woman sustained a head injury from a fallen ceiling panel and was hospitalized. Roman Pridachin, a correspondent for «Kamchatskoye Vremya» news agency, who experienced the earthquake in his apartment, admitted he was hesitant to return home for the night and explained his reasons:
«I was home in a five-story `Khrushchev` building. It started at 11:24 AM with two very prolonged tremors. The floor shook, walls creaked, furniture moved, and unsecured items fell. I`ve experienced earthquakes before, the last one was on July 20th, but those were quite brief, whereas this one lasted a long time. I was scared, and it frightened many people.»
«The only known injured person was a woman at the new Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky airport, `Yelizovo.` Several suspended ceiling panels fell there, and one hit her head. The regional Ministry of Health reports her condition is satisfactory, and her life is not in danger. Many buildings, including the famous beautiful building of the regional civil court in the city center, sustained cracks. In the Kamchatka Regional Hospital, the ceiling made of similar panels also collapsed, but fortunately, patients were not harmed. Now, many are even afraid to return to multi-story buildings; those with country houses or dachas have left the city, causing traffic jams at the exit from Petropavlovsk. I myself am afraid to go home right now and don`t know where to spend the night.»
Concurrently with the earthquake, despite the danger, some residents went to the Pacific Ocean coast to observe the tsunami, forcing rescuers to evacuate them and a nearby surf camp. The earthquake generated waves so powerful that they washed away not only the port but also all coastal infrastructure in Severo-Kurilsk. Elena, a tour agent from Severo-Kurilsk, reported that wave heights reached 4 meters:
«We are used to earthquakes, but this powerful one, even for me, was a first. We ran outside, the ground literally shook violently. This was the first sign of a tsunami. Since everyone is familiar with this phenomenon, many townspeople, including us, went to the nearby hills where we have tourist cabins. From there, we waited and watched as the port was washed away. About four clearly visible waves arrived throughout the day, though the actual number is unknown. The port suffered extensive damage. Moored ships were torn from their piers: some were thrown onto land, others swept into the strait. Now the situation has improved: electricity is restored in the town, people have returned home, but periodic tremors continue – even sitting at a table, you can still feel the shaking. The tsunami warning has not been lifted, and sirens aren`t sounding, because the tremors are still occurring. Factory workers and everyone in the port area were quickly evacuated to the town. Our town is located in a tsunami-safe zone, so there were no casualties. However, many factories in the coastal area, where fish processing facilities are located, were severely affected. As soon as the tsunami alert was declared and people were evacuated from the port, all roads there were immediately blocked.»
Videos circulated online showing Kamchatka residents taking cover under tables during the earthquake. Some viewers were surprised, questioning how a table could offer protection. However, in regions prone to frequent earthquakes, every school child knows that during seismic activity, one should take cover under a sturdy table or stand in a doorway. This significantly increases chances of survival if a building collapses.
Despite everything, all buildings in Kamchatka largely remained standing. Only dislodged bricks, broken windows, damaged roof sections, and cracks in asphalt and walls were reported, but nothing more severe. This is attributed to the nature of seismic tremors: they can be horizontal or vertical. Horizontal oscillations (side-to-side) are less destructive than vertical ones (up-and-down). A video exists showing products falling from shelves in one store, while in an alcohol store, not a single bottle fell, despite significant shaking. The video`s creators jokingly commented: «This is how a region`s seismic resistance is determined.»
However, true resilience and courage were demonstrated by the medical staff at the Kamchatka Oncological Dispensary. In the middle of an operation, as everything around them began to shake, they did not flinch or interrupt the procedure for a second. A nurse simply held the patient firmly to prevent him from falling.
Once the shaking subsided, the doctors and nurses calmly resumed the operation. The governor, upon seeing the video from the operating room, promised to nominate the entire medical team for state awards in recognition of their heroism.
