British holidaymakers have described 'scary sirens' and 'emergency warnings' as they rushed back to their cruise ship amid fears of a tsunami in Hawaii. A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings for Hawaii, Alaska, and other Pacific regions.
Rachel Burrows, from Macclesfield, was among those caught up in the panic. She told BBC Breakfast that while on a tour of the Big Island, emergency warnings began appearing on phones, urging people to move away from the coast to higher ground. The tour bus driver attempted to stop at a chocolate factory, but the shop owner told them to leave immediately.
Burrows described the chaos as sirens blared and people ran toward the cruise ship. She and her companions were among the last to board, leaving around 600 other tourists stranded on shore. Those left behind were instructed to seek higher ground inland.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll measured tsunami waves up to 6ft from peak to trough. He warned that waves of that size could move cars and dislodge trees, posing a serious danger to anyone in coastal areas. Black Hawk helicopters and high-water vehicles have been deployed for potential rescues.
The Japan Meteorological Agency detected a tsunami as high as 2ft moving south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay, with officials warning that larger waves could follow. The earthquake and tsunami have also affected Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
