The Maldives Meteorological Service has confirmed that there is no tsunami threat to the Maldives following a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean.

Speaking to state media, the Met Office stated that the tsunami generated by the earthquake would not affect the Maldives.

The earthquake, which occurred at 8:25 a.m. local time in Kamchatka (4:25 p.m. ET, Tuesday), is one of the strongest to hit the region in the past 14 years and ranks among the 10 most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. It caused structural damage and injured several people in the remote Kamchatka region. A 13-foot (approximately 4-metre) tsunami inundated coastal areas, including the town of Severo-Kurilsk.

Following the quake, tsunami warnings were issued for several countries and territories across the Pacific Rim. In Japan, particularly along the Hokkaido coast, waves as high as 12 feet were reported, prompting precautionary evacuations in areas still haunted by the devastating 2011 tsunami.

In the United States, tsunami advisories were issued for coastal areas of Hawaii and California, with authorities urging residents to move to higher ground. While Hawaii’s governor called for full compliance with safety alerts, experts noted that California was not expected to experience significant impact.