Earthquake strikes Russia’s Sakhalin island

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Sakhalin Island on February 10 at 11:07 a.m. local time, with tremors felt across several northern settlements, Russian media reported.

According to RIA Novosti, citing Yelena Semenova, head of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk seismic station, the tremors were felt at an intensity of up to four points in the northern parts of the island.

The seismologist said the earthquake’s epicentre was located approximately three kilometres northeast of the village of Uskovo in the Tymovsky District, at a depth of seven kilometres.

The Main Directorate of the Hydrometeorological Service for the Sakhalin Region reported that the seismic event was felt with an intensity of up to five points in the settlement of Tymovskoye and in the villages of Molodyozhnoye, Chir-Unvd, Slavy, Ado-Tymovo, Argi-Pagi and Voskresenovka.

According to preliminary data, no casualties or damage have been reported. Authorities are currently inspecting residential buildings, socially significant facilities and public utilities infrastructure.

By Vugar Khalilov