Chaos as cruise ship passengers 'left behind' following major tsunami in Hawaii
Chaos has been reported after cruise ship passengers were allegedly ‘left behind’ following a major tsunami warning in Hawaii.
This is according to one passenger who is on a cruise ship off the coast of Hawaii.
Speaking to the BBC, UK resident Rachael Burrows described how she was on a tour on one of the islands when she received an emergency warning on her phone.
After the first message warned that they were in immediate danger, Burrows headed back to the ship.
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She said: “It was quite scary because all the sirens started going off. Everyone was just running.”
Burrows claimed that she was one of the last people allowed to board the ship before it left the port, with those still on the land being advised to move to higher ground for safety.
President Donald Trump urged the public to ‘stay strong and stay safe’ following an earthquake in Russia which has now triggered a tsunami in Hawaii.
Waves hit the shoreline after an enormous 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Russia’s Far East today (July 30), which could be the sixth largest earthquake ever recorded in history.
Trump has warned that Hawaii might not be the only US location to see an extreme impact of the earthquake, with the Pacific Coast and Alaska also put on high alert for potential tsunamis.
Evacuations have begun around the world in places like Chile, Japan, the Philippines and parts of the US including Hawaii, Alaska and California.
This comes after a warning stated that ‘urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property’, alerting Americans to the threat of waves up to three meters (10ft) above tide level, according to experts.
Amid the panic gripping countries across the globe, Trump took to his own social media platform Truth Social to share his message to Americans who are situated in the danger zones.
He wrote: “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 tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
Since he shared the post a few hours ago, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre announced that waves had started to hit Hawaii.
The tallest wave measured so far - which was over 5ft in height - was reported in Kahulu which is on the north-central shore of Maui island, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
A wave that was 4ft was also recorded hitting Hale'iwa, which is located on Waialua Bay, according to the BBC.
Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, had told locals that a 6ft wave was en route after it passed through the Midway Atoll island that sits between Japan and Hawaii.
“We’re still expecting a significant wave,” he said, adding that measures would only be called off when officials are sure there is ‘total safety’.