The
Peruvian Navy's Hydrography and Navigation Directorate (DHN) Chief, Rear Admiral Jorge Vizcarra, on Wednesday morning recommended the suspension of all coastal activities along the
Peruvian shoreline following the tsunami alert issued after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off the Russian coast the day before.
In remarks to TVPeru, the high-ranking officer confirmed that a wave train is indeed approaching the shorelines of Peru, Ecuador, and Chile.
Regarding the Peruvian coast, Vizcarra stated that the waves are expected to reach Caleta Cruz, in northern Tumbes region, with a height of 0.44 meters.
"If we add the tidal range to that, we will have a projected height of one meter," he stated.
As for the southern region, the wave train will reach the Matarani Port, in Ilo, at 12:30 p.m. It is expected to have a height of 0.37 meters, which—combined with the projected tidal range—will reach 1.21 meters, he noted.
Immediate evacuations
The director stated that the Navy has recommended that local authorities activate the corresponding emergency protocols and, therefore, "begin evacuations three hours before the wave train reaches their respective jurisdictions."
It is in that context, he said, "the suspension of all coastal activities has been recommended."
This is due to the fact that "when a tsunami occurs, there are certain disruptions in the currents that create inflow and outflow movements in specific areas, which could lead to mishandling of vessels."
The high-ranking officer indicated that the suspension should remain in place "until the alert is lifted or canceled."
Accordingly, he said, the Navy is in communication with the National Civil Defense Institute (Indeci) to carry out the corresponding evacuations.
Likewise, the director stated that port captains have been ordering the closure of ports.
Vizcarra emphasized that, in light of this situation, "people must be aware and take the matter seriously."
In this regard, he stated that it is necessary to identify the safe zones to which the population should be relocated.
Vizcarra also advised people not to approach the sea, warning that once the tsunami wave train arrives, there will be no time to evacuate the area.
Alerts of this kind can be monitored in real time through the MGP Tsunamis app, he noted.
(END) FGM/MAO/MVB
Published: 7/30/2025