M6.3 earthquake - 68 km E of Shikotan, Russia

What happened

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 68 km E of Shikotan, Russia on 16 Apr 1986, 12:52 UTC at a depth of 23 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Nemuro, about 173 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.