6.9-magnitude quake hits off Russian far east—USGS

WASHINGTON—A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Thursday off the coast of far eastern Russia, the US Geological Survey said.

The USGS said the quake hit off the Kurile islands at 1405 GMT at a depth of 53 kilometers (33 miles).

The islands are south of Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula.

The USGS said an underground formation called the Kurile-Kamchatka arc is considered one of the most seismically active regions in the world.

Since 1900, seven powerful earthquakes of magnitude 8.3 or greater have occurred along the arc, the USGS said.