After an 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the 30th, a resulting tsunami caused multiple cruise ships in Hawaii, USA, to depart early for deep sea as a safety precaution. A large number of tourists frantically ran at the pier but still failed to board the ships in time, and could only be transported by bus to higher ground for refuge.
According to the New York Post, 4 to 6 foot (1.2-1.8 meter) high waves were reported off Hawaii's coast at the time, prompting emergency evacuations of residents to high ground. Several cruise ships left for deep water to avoid danger earlier, leaving passengers stranded on shore.
Videos posted by netizen @demifreeman on TikTok show passengers desperately running along the pier, trying to board the cruise ship before it departed.
Meanwhile, American tourist from Texas, @mandythecruiseplanner, also shared a series of videos on TikTok, documenting her experience and that of a whole busload of tourists who missed their cruise during the tsunami alert in Hawaii.
"We made it to the port, but the ship was already gone. The cruise departed, and now we can only flee to higher ground. Everyone is very frustrated."
She described the scene as utter chaos, with no one knowing what was happening; even the bus driver was completely confused.
On another note, British tourist Rachel told the BBC that she had just finished a group tour of the "Big Island Volcano Park" and was returning to the cruise ship when suddenly all tourists and locals received an "emergency alert" on their phones.
"The tour guide immediately led us back to the cruise ship, but it was really terrifying because all of a sudden, alarms sounded across the entire area. We jumped off the tour bus and everyone was sprinting, desperate to board the cruise ship."
The still-shaken tourist added, "They were closing the boarding passages because the cruise ship had to set sail immediately. We were the last group to get on board. Many other tourists were left on the island and were told to evacuate to higher ground."
According to the Daily Mail, Rachel said about 600 people were unable to board the ship.
Cruise information site Cruise Hive noted that when a tsunami alert is issued, cruise ships are advised to move immediately into waters at least 180 feet (about 55 meters) deep to stay safe, because tsunamis are most dangerous in the shallow waters near shore.
"If at sea, avoid entering shallow waters, harbors, docks, bays, and river mouths, and stay away from floating objects, underwater debris, and strong currents. Generally, the farther you are from the epicenter, the less the impact, but these giant waves can travel thousands of miles before all their energy dissipates."