M6.9 earthquake - 78 km E of Shikotan, Russia

What happened

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 78 km E of Shikotan, Russia on 12 Feb 1961, 21:53 UTC at a depth of 38 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 180 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.