Magnitude 5.3 earthquake registered near Southern Kuril Islands

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake was registered on Friday near Russia's Southern Kuril Islands, the regional branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences (GS RAS) told Sputnik.

"The 5.3 magnitude earthquake took place at 05:19 local time [18:19 GMT on Thursday] with the epicenter located 119 kilometers [about 74 miles] southwest of the the island of Simushir at a depth of 103 kilometers," the geologists said.

There is no information about any victims or damage caused by the earthquake. No tsunami alert has been declared.

The Kuril Islands are located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire, which is regularly affected by powerful earthquakes. On November 5, 1952, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a huge tsunami that devastated the town of Severo-Kurilsk, leaving more than 2,300 people killed. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )