A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's eastern Kamchatka Peninsula today, prompting tsunami alerts across the Pacific. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake hit 136 kilometers (84 miles) east of the coastal city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Immediately following the tremor, Japan's meteorological agency issued a tsunami advisory for much of its east coast, cautioning residents about potential waves up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) high.

Tsunami warnings were also extended to Taiwan, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, with advisories reaching much of the US West Coast.

In response to the widespread tsunami threat, Ecuadoran officials have ordered preventive evacuations from beaches, docks, and low-lying areas in the Galapagos Islands. According to Al Jazeera, Ecuador’s Secretariat for Risk Management confirmed a "tsunami warning has been established for the Insular Region [Galapagos], which indicates the immediate suspension of maritime activities, as well as preventive evacuations."