The magnitude 8.8 quake is believed to be the joint sixth-largest on record, though only minor injuries near the epicenter have been reported.

One of the world’s strongest earthquakes struck Russia’s Far East on Wednesday as an 8.8-magnitude tremor set off a tsunami in the northern Pacific and prompted warnings for Alaska, Hawaii and south toward New Zealand.

Just ten minutes after the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, coordinated by UNESCO, issued an initial warning covering the areas most at risk, particularly the Russian and Japanese coasts. This warning was then relayed by national centers and enabled the immediate implementation of evacuation plans in several countries.