Tsunami warning in the Pacific, including Hawaii, after 8.7 magnitude quake near the Russian coast

A powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday off the Russian coast of the Kamtchatka Peninsula, injuring several people, and triggering tsunami warnings on both sides of the Pacific, including Ecuador, Japan and Hawaii.

The tremor triggered warnings of waves up to three meters high along Pacific coasts, according to the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ecuador is among the countries that could be hit by the waves, according to the warning center.

The first tsunami, measuring 30 centimeters, was observed off the Japanese coast, national television NHK reported.

The wave reached the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, and NHK indicated that subsequent waves could be much higher.

Japanese authorities warned of waves up to 3 meters high that could hit the archipelago's Pacific coast between 01H00 and 02H30 GMT.

Also, Hawaii issued a tsunami warning urging residents to evacuate and seek higher ground.

In response to the threat, President Donald Trump sent a message to the residents of Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. Pacific coast.

"Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit https://tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!"

The U.S. warning center also warned of waves of more than three meters high along parts of the coasts of Russia and the Hawaiian archipelago "in the next three hours." 

Waves of 1 to 3 meters could reach the U.S. Pacific island of Guam, the warning center said.

The entire U.S. coastline from Alaska to California, including Hawaii, is under a tsunami warning of varying degrees, the center said.

The quake was felt at 23H25 GMT Tuesday and its epicenter located about 136 kilometers east of the town of Petropavlovsk-Kamtchatsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula at a depth of 19 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Russian state media reported that several people were injured in Kamchatka, where the regional governor, Vladimir Solodov, called on the population to stay away from the coast.

At least six aftershocks shook the eastern Russian region after the main quake, one of magnitude 6.9 and another of 6.3.

A tsunami wave inundated the Russian city of Severo-Kurilsk in the Kuril Islands, according to local authorities.

On July 20, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, followed by numerous aftershocks, struck the same area without causing major damage.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is the meeting point of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making the region one of the most active seismic zones on the planet.

This is a developing story