Magnitude 5.9 earthquake — Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia at a depth of about 26 km. Details, shaking intensity and any tsunami information are on the USGS event page.
New here? Start with this
Severo-Kuril'sk is a small settlement on the northernmost of the Kuril Islands, a volcanic island chain off Russia's far eastern coast between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The islands sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, making the region one of the world's most seismically active areas.
The town has a population of around 2,000 people, so earthquakes there directly affect relatively few residents. However, the remote location makes emergency response challenging, and the region faces particular risk from tsunamis generated by underwater earthquakes, which can impact a much wider area across the Pacific.