Authorities on Russia’s far-eastern Sakhalin Island and nearby territories have evacuated some 11,000 residents from coastal areas in anticipation of tsunami waves unleashed by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off Japan’s north-eastern coast.
Regional emergency officials said the tsunami could hit several villages on Sakhalin. No damage from the quake was reported on the island.
Authorities on the Kamchatka Peninsula further north said the tsunami posed no danger to the area.
Kamchatka, which juts into the Pacific, is studded with active volcanos, some of which were spewing gases to a height of up to 19,000ft (5,800m) today, prompting authorities to issue a warning to planes in the area.