6.8 magnitude quake in Pacific off Russia: USGS

WASHINGTON: A 6.8 magnitude quake struck Friday in the Pacific in the Kuril island chain off Russia's far east, the US Geological Survey reported.

The US agency said the quake's epicenter was 161 kilometers (100 miles) south west of Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia in the Kuril Islands that extends south of the Kamchatka peninsula.

The quake, which struck at 1827 GMT, occurred at a depth of 4.9 kilometers (3.0 miles), the USGS said in an advisory.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said "a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no Tsunami threat to Hawaii." (AFP)