6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes off Kuril Islands, eastern Russia

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Published time: February 28, 2013 14:25

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has hit the Kuril Islands, south of Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake had a depth of 18 miles.

There are no reports of damage.

It's the second quake to hit the Kuril Islands this year.  A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck the Isles on January 1. The Islands were also hit with two earthquakes in November 2012, which measured magnitudes of 6.8 and 5.3.

The Kuril Islands are located 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia. Tokyo is located 2,204 kilometers (1,369 miles) away from the Isles.

The population of the Islands is around 19,000 people, and the total land area is about 15,600 square kilometers (6,000 square miles).