Russian nuclear submarine base too close to earthquake epicentre could have sustained damage, experts fear

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning could have caused damage to the country's nuclear submarine base. Although Moscow has assured that everything is fine in the region, experts think that the base was too close to the epicentre to have escaped scot free. This submarine base is located dangerously close to the epicentre. The Avacha Bay, which has some of the Russian Navy's most strategic nuclear assets, is only 120 kilometres from the point of origin of the massive quake. The Rybachiy submarine base within the Avacha Bay houses the modern Borei and Borei-A class nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Russia has not reported any serious injuries or damage from the earthquake. However, online videos show infrastructural damage in Kamchatka, with collapsed buildings and flooded ports. Roads also went under, and a kindergarten crumbled in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, leaving several people injured. Oleg Melnikov, the regional health minister, said some people sustained minor injuries because of the tremors and the ensuing panic. Also Read: Hawaii tsunami warning: Cruise ships sail off leaving 600 passengers behind following 8.7 magnitude Russia earthquake

Different missile submarines sit at the bay miles from the Russian earthquake epicentre

Military experts are trying to go through satellite images to see which submarines were stationed at the base at the time the earthquake struck. They are worried that the massive quake could have caused destruction to these nuclear submarines, despite what Russia says. The Avacha Bay also houses the most advanced Yasen-M and Oscar-class guided missile submarines (SSGNs). Experts think the tremors and the tsunami could have damaged these vehicles if they reached their moorings and flooded them in some way with the water entering the hatches. This could have especially occurred if the submarines were undergoing maintenance work at the bay. However, a retired Russian Navy officer wrote on X that there was no information on "critical damage to the Russian Navy's naval bases in Kamchatka." He added that these bases are designed to withstand a nuclear attack, which means they are highly resilient. The earthquake in Kamchatka was the strongest one recorded in the world since the 2011 Great Japan Earthquake. The resulting tsunami also brought massive destruction, with nearly 20,000 people reported to have been killed. Also Read: 'Ryo Tatsuki was right': 8.7 earthquake in Russia sets social media abuzz with Japan's Baba Vanga's prophecy

Action taken to avoid a repeat of 2004 and 2011

The tremors also triggered tsunami warnings for Japan, Hawaii and Alaska. Oahu's north shore was hit by five-foot tsunami waves, while tsunami warnings were issued from California to Oregon. In Japan, nearly two million people were evacuated from coastal areas. The earthquake was the biggest one recorded in Kamchatka since 1952. The tsunamis that struck the Indian Ocean in 2004 and Japan in 2011 were triggered by similarly large earthquakes. To avoid fatalities, all affected areas quickly acted and evacuated people, moving them to higher ground.