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Earthquake measuring 5.5 points shakes Kuril isles

The quake occurred at a depth of 120 km beneath the island

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

VLADIVOSTOK, May 24 (Itar-Tass) — An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 occurred in the central part of the Kuril island chain on Thursday morning. Accordingto a report by the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the epicenter of the quake was near uninhabited island of Shimushir off its Pacific side. The focus of the temblor was at a depth of 60 km.

This was Thursday's second earth jolt. The first one, measuring 4.1 points, was recorded in the south of Iturup island, where the city of Kurilsk is situated. The quake occurred at a depth of 120 km beneath the island.

The Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk seismic station reported that none of the earthquakes were felt in populated areas of the Kuril island chain and there was no tsunami threat.

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