Pakistan, July 31 -- Millions of people across the Pacific Rim are returning home after tsunami warnings were lifted following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Russia's Kamchatka peninsula. The quake, one of the strongest ever recorded, had initially triggered emergency evacuations in over a dozen countries, from Japan to Ecuador. Coastal areas braced for waves up to four meters high, causing major disruptions, including the closure of ports, cancellation of flights, and temporary shutdowns of public areas.

Japan alone ordered nearly two million people to evacuate coastal zones. Although waves up to 0.7 meters were later observed, officials downgraded the warning to an advisory. A seismologist at Japan's Meteorological still urged...