One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded has hit off Russia’s sparsely populated Far East. It sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.

A massive 8.0 earthquake near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula has triggered tsunami alerts in Hawaii, Alaska, Japan, and Russia. Hawaii is under a tsunami watch, while Alaska's Aleutian Islands are under an advisory.

A magnitude-8.7 earthquake in Russia’s Far East early Wednesday prompted tsunami warnings in parts of Japan, Alaska and Hawaii.