Friday, April 5, 2013

Strong 6.2 quake rocks Russia near North Korea border

WASHINGTON - A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck early Saturday in eastern Russia near the border with China and North Korea, the US Geological Survey said.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 1300 GMT Friday, was southwest of Vladivostok, around nine kilometers (five miles) from the Russian border town of Zarubino, at a depth of 561 kilometers (350 miles), the USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which struck seconds after 12 a.m. Saturday local time.

A 6.1-magnitude quake struck Russia's far east last month, and a 6.9 quake rocked the region in February. Neither caused significant damage.

An underground formation in the area known as the Kuril-Kamchatka arc is considered one of the most seismically active regions in the world.

Since 1900, seven powerful earthquakes of magnitude 8.3 or greater have occurred along the arc, according to the USGS.

source: interaksyon.com