M6.2 earthquake - 72 km E of Shikotan, Russia

What happened

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 72 km E of Shikotan, Russia on 7 May 1996, 23:20 UTC at a depth of 54 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 170 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.