New Delhi: One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on earth struck Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula at around 11.04 pm GMT on July 29, leading to tsunamis of up to 4 metres or 12 feet across the Pacific.The earthquake took place off the sparsely populated Petropavlovsk in the Elizovsky district. The USGS has said that it is among the 10 biggest recorded earthquakes in history.Tsunami fears have resulted in quick evacuation drives and warnings on both coasts of the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Mexico and from Ecuador to the US. In Hokkaido, a wave measuring 30 centimetres was observed.In this image taken from a video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service, rescuers inspect a kindergarten damaged by an earthquake in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Photo: AP/PTI.The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has noted in a post on X that it is monitoring the potential tsunami threat.It advised Indian nationals in California, other US West Coast states, and Hawaii to follow local alerts – carefully monitor alerts from US authorities, including local emergency management and the US Tsunami Warning Centers.It also advised them to move to higher ground if a tsunami alert is issued, avoid coastal areas, prepare for emergencies and keep devices charged.It has issued an emergency helpline number +1-415-483-6629. People can also reach the consulate through email on enquiry.sf@mea.gov.in.AFP reports that the quake was the strongest since 1952 in the Kamchatka region, quoting the regional seismic monitoring service said. Aftershocks – six of which have already happened – of up to 7.5 magnitude are likely, it also said.The aftershocks so far have recorded 6.9 and 6.3 on the Richter scale.In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate, and many left by car or on foot to higher ground. One woman was killed as she drove her car off a cliff as she tried to evacuate, local media reported.The US Tsunami Warning Centers said waves exceeding three metres above the tide level were possible along some coasts of Ecuador, northwestern Hawaiian islands and Russia. Between one- and three-metre waves were possible along some coasts of Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Japan and other islands and island groups in the Pacific, it said.AFP reports that Russian authorities said a tsunami hit and flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, crashing through the port area and submerging the local fishing plant. Several people were injured in Russia, but none of them seriously. “The walls were shaking,” an Elizovsky resident told state media Zvezda.