Strong 6.1 earthquake off Russia's east coast

A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia, according to the US Geological Survey, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The quake struck 60 miles (98 kilometers) southeast of the city of Severo- Kurilsk near the sparsely populated Russian-administered Kuril Islands, at a depth of 20.2 kilometers (12.5 miles) according to the US-based seismologists. The earthquake struck at 1:12 am local time on Sunday (1312 GMT Saturday). A 6.0-magnitude earthquake was reported in the same area by the USGS on Friday. The remote region is prone to earthquakes. There were no immediate warnings of any tsunami risk.