Today at about 11:30am local time, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the country’s far east. Originating at a depth of roughly 20 kilometres, today’s powerful earthquake – among the ten strongest in recorded history and the largest worldwide since 2011 – has caused building damage and injuries in the largest nearby city,

A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering evacuations and tsunami warnings.

Kamchatka is a 1,250-kilometre-long peninsula located in the Far East of Russia. The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk serve as the eastern and western coastlines of the peninsula, respectively.