Tsunami leaves BBC presenter stunned as haunting footage shows devastation

A BBC presenter was left in stunned silence as news of a devastating magnitude 8.8 earthquake and following tsunami warning broke this morning.

Terrifying footage from Kamchatka Krai in Russia this morning showed the moment massive shockwaves tore through the country's far east, with scenes televised by the BBC capturing panic setting in as haunting alert sirens sounded. The broadcasters captured the shaking interiors of a house as a man held on to the walls while the colossal earthquake rumbled on, having been forced away from scheduled programming by the breaking news.

A video has captured the moment BBC Asia Business Correspondant Suranjana Tewari was caught by the news and left stunned as scenes played out in the background.

READ MORE: Tsunami warnings LIVE: 8.8-mag earthquake sees first tsunami waves hit Hawaii

Chilling footage of massive waves surging past buildings off the coast of Severo-Kurilsk in Russia followed next, with the waves taking along with them most of what was on the ground, including whole building structures.

Next followed frightening visuals from Hokkaido, Japan, with loud warning sirens sounding off in a densely populated residential area.

Japan's weather agency reports that a 4.3-foot (1.3-meter) tsunami has struck the northern Iwate Prefecture, prompting evacuation orders for 1.9 million people across the country.

Tsunami waves have also reached the areas of Fukushima and Miyagi, with the agency adding that it's expecting waves to reach as high as 3m (9ft).

In the United States, the first waves triggered by the massive 8.8 earthquake have reached Hawaii, bringing with it a 4ft (1.2m) wave that's been recorded off the coast of Oahu.

According to the US Geological Survey, the tremor reportedly had a depth of 18km.

Considered to be one of the strongest earthquakes in modern history, people in Hawaii along with some parts of the US west coast have also been told to evacuate to safety.

Tsunami alerts of varying degrees have also been issued in the Philippines, Canada's British Columbia, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Papa New Guinea, Guam, Peru, the Solomon Islands and the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador.

Currently, there are no reports of any fatalities or injuries that have been reported.