Two additional earthquakes measuring 5.1 and 5.0 on the Richter scale were recorded in the Pacific Ocean near the Kuril Islands on Wednesday evening, according to the Sakhalin branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The first earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.1, occurred on July 30 at 18:23 local time (10:23 Moscow time). Its epicenter was located 131 kilometers southeast of Iturup Island at a depth of 61 kilometers. Residents of Malokurilskoye on Shikotan Island reported feeling tremors of up to three points on the intensity scale, News.Az reports, citing Russian media.
Twenty minutes later, seismologists registered a second earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0. Its epicenter was recorded 79 kilometers southeast of Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir Island at a depth of 47 kilometers. The town of Severo-Kurilsk also experienced tremors with an intensity of up to three points.
Earlier in the day, Severo-Kurilsk declared a state of emergency after a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake near Kamchatka — the strongest since 1952 — triggered a tsunami. Four tsunami waves struck Paramushir Island, flooding the port of Severo-Kurilsk and nearby fishing facilities. Small boats were swept out to sea or thrown ashore. Residential buildings suffered damage to chimneys and engineering networks, while many residents reported broken furniture and smashed dishes. The port of Severo-Kurilsk remains closed for incoming and outgoing vessels until a full safety assessment is completed.
The Severo-Kurilsk District consists of a single settlement — the town of Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir Island — making it particularly vulnerable to seismic and tsunami activity.
