MOSCOW, October 11. /TASS/. /TASS/. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake was registered near the Kuril Islands in the Pacific Ocean, US Geological Survey reported on Thursday.

The earthquake's epicenter lay 176 kilometers from the town of Severo-Kurilsk (around 2,500 residents), at the depth of 33 kilometers. No injuries or damages have been reported. No tsunami alert has been issued so far.

Aftershocks were registered near the Kuril Islands after the earthquake, a representative of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk seismological station told TASS. Residents of the town of Severo-Kurilsk - the closest populated area to the epicenter - felt the aftershocks of 4.0 magnitude, while Kamchatka residents reported aftershocks of 2.0 magnitude.

"The powerful earthquake was followed by weaker earthquakes, which are called aftershocks. The strongest aftershocks measured at 5.5, 5.1 and 4.7 magnitude," the representative said.

Residents of the Kuril Islands did not report feeling the aftershocks of the earthquake.