Shallow M5.9 earthquake hits offshore Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia

A shallow earthquake measuring M5.9 was registered at 16:48 UTC on October 6, 2026, approximately 264 km (164 miles) south-southwest of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia. The hypocenter was determined to be at a depth of 26.0 km (16.2 miles), with the epicenter located at 154.8°E, 48.5°N.

The location places the event offshore in the far northwestern Pacific, south-southwest of the Kuril Islands. This region is sparsely populated, with the nearest town being Severo-Kuril’sk on the northern Kuril Islands.

Critical infrastructure in this remote offshore area is minimal; the closest facilities would likely include ports and small airfields associated with island settlements, but major transport networks are distant from the epicenter.

There is no tsunami threat associated with this earthquake, based on its offshore location and available data.

USGS issued a green alert for this event, indicating a low likelihood of casualties or damage. The maximum estimated intensity is IV (4), and the significance index is 536 (on a scale that runs through 1 000), based on magnitude and estimated impact.

The Kuril Islands region is situated along the convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Okhotsk Plate, an area known for frequent seismic activity due to subduction-related processes.

This information was last updated at 17:15 UTC on October 6, 2026.