Lekkas: Kamchatka Earthquake Among Top 10 Largest Worldwide

The president of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (OASP), Efthymios Lekkas, spoke about the powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the submarine area east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.

Mr. Lekkas emphasized that the earthquake is among the 10 largest recorded worldwide and triggered tsunami warnings in countries of the Pacific Ocean, including Japan, Hawaii, and the west coast of the USA.

The earthquake has caused stimulation throughout the Kamchatka Peninsula, and warnings have already been issued and the evacuation of the population from coastal areas has begun.

Mr. Lekkas noted that the height of the tsunami depends on the configuration of the seabed and the orientation of each area, while he stressed that hundreds of earthquakes above 5 degrees had preceded the major earthquake in the last 20 days.

Mr. Lekkas concluded that the seismic activity is due to the collision of the tectonic plates of the Pacific Ocean and Eurasia.