
Kuril Islands [Russia], August 3 (ANI): An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale struck the Kuril Islands on Sunday, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The quake occurred at a depth of 64 kilometers.
In a post on X, the NCS stated, “EQ of M: 6.7, On: 03/08/2025 11:07:59 IST, Lat: 50.76 N, Long: 157.71 E, Depth: 64 Km, Location: Kuril Islands.”
This follows another significant quake on Saturday, when a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka at a shallow depth of 20 kilometers, increasing the likelihood of aftershocks. The NCS noted, “EQ of M: 6.0, On: 02/08/2025 19:44:05 IST, Lat: 51.61 N, Long: 159.42 E, Depth: 20 Km, Location: Off East Coast of Kamchatka.”
Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deeper ones because seismic waves travel a shorter distance to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and the potential for greater damage and casualties.
The region has experienced heightened seismic activity recently. A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off Russia’s eastern coast on Wednesday is now tied as the sixth strongest earthquake ever recorded. According to the Kremlin, there were no reported casualties in Russia.
Since that massive quake, at least 125 aftershocks of magnitude 4.4 or greater have been recorded in the region within just over 16 hours, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, CNN reported. Among them, three aftershocks were magnitude 6.0 or stronger, with the most powerful being a magnitude 6.9 that occurred about 45 minutes after the initial quake.
Strong aftershocks continue to rattle the area, including a 6.4 magnitude tremor that struck around 200 miles southwest of the main earthquake’s epicenter just before 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Aftershocks are typically most frequent and intense in the hours and days following a major quake, gradually decreasing in number and strength over time.
Meanwhile, the tsunami advisory issued for Hawaii in the wake of the 8.8 magnitude quake has been lifted. Tsunami warnings previously in place for the U.S. West Coast and Japan have also been downgraded to advisories, CNN reported.