5.0-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern Kuril Islands, Eqalert Reports

10:21 GMT, 4 October 2020

The Kuril Islands are located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire, which is regularly affected by powerful earthquakes. On 5 November 1952, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a huge tsunami that devastated the town of Severo-Kurilsk, leaving more than 2,300 people killed.

Sputnik

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake occurred on Sunday evening off the coast of the northern Kuril island of Paramushir, according to the Eqalert service.

At the same time, the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has reported that the magnitude of the earthquake was 5.4. The epicentre was located 69 kilometres from the Onekotan Island and 180 kilometres east of the Matua Island.

The islands are uninhabited, but expeditions, including the ones of the Russian Geographical Society, are been sent to the islands from time to time.