Moscow, July 30: One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves crashing onto shores in Japan and Alaska in the US and prompting alerts across the Pacific from Hawaii and Central America to New Zealand.

The 8.8 magnitude quake triggered emergency warnings for dozens of nations and territories, with officials cautioning that the tsunami threat could persist for over 24 hours.

The most powerful earthquake in recorded history struck central Chile, killing more than 1,600 people, most from the resulting tsunami. Thousands were injured, and the quake caused widespread destruction across Chile and beyond.

The largest earthquake ever recorded in the US lasted nearly five minutes and caused more than 130 deaths due to massive landslides and a devastating tsunami. Aftershocks continued for weeks.

This undersea earthquake and ensuing tsunami killed over 230,000 people across Southeast Asia and parts of East Africa. In Indonesia alone, more than 167,000 lives were lost as entire communities were swept away.

The undersea quake triggered a catastrophic tsunami and nuclear disaster at Fukushima. Over 18,000 people were killed or went missing, with coastal cities obliterated and radiation concerns lasting for years.

While there were no reported fatalities, the massive quake caused a tsunami that sent 30-foot waves crashing into Hawaii, illustrating the vast reach of seismic events in the Pacific Rim.

This quake shook central Chile for over a minute and a half, triggering a deadly tsunami and killing more than 500 people. The capital, Santiago, suffered significant damage.

The earthquake and tsunami killed around 1,500 people. The seismic waves were felt across Central America and as far as San Francisco and Japan.

The quake generated a 35-foot tsunami but caused only minor damage. Still, it demonstrated the seismic volatility of the Aleutian arc.

At least 780 people were killed in a massive quake that flattened villages and triggered deadly landslides. In India, a dammed river burst days later, creating a deadly 23-foot wave.

Though it caused little direct damage, this quake put further stress on the same fault system that triggered the 2004 disaster, keeping the region on high seismic alert.-Agencies