HONOLULU (AP) — Fears of a devastating tsunami faded Wednesday for the U.S. and Japan after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off a sparsely populated Russian peninsula, but new alerts along South America’s Pacific coast forced evacuations and closed beaches.

Warnings in the first hours after the 8.8 magnitude quake sent residents fleeing to rooftops in Japan and forced tourists out of beachfront hotels in Hawaii, snarling island traffic. In Russia, several people were hurt rushing to get out of buildings, including a hospital patient who jumped from a window.

EN ESPAÑOL | Ordenan evacuaciones en Sudamérica por tsunami tras sismo de 8.8 en Rusia

Millions of people were told to move away from the shore or seek high ground because they were potentially in the path

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