Strong Quake in Russia Triggers Tsunami*

The Associated Press
Thursday, August 2, 2007; 1:51 AM

TOKYO -- A strong quake hit near Sakhalin island in Russia's Far East on
Thursday, reportedly killing one person and sending small tsunami waves
to northern Japan.

The temblor, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, struck at 11:38 a.m.
Japan time (10:30 p.m. EDT) and hit the southern tip of Sakhalin, just
north of Japan, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.

One person died and two people were injured on Sakhalin from the quake,
the Russian news service Interfax reported.

In Japan, tsunami waves of about 1 foot hit the coastal city of Wakkanai
on the country's northernmost island of Hokkaido shortly before 2 p.m.,
according to the Meteorological Agency. Smaller waves were recorded
elsewhere along Hokkaido's western coast.

A second quake of magnitude 5.9 struck the region at 2:22 p.m., the
agency said, but said there was no danger of a tsunami.

There were no reports of injuries or damage in Japan from the quakes or
tsunami waves. Authorities lifted a tsunami warning for western Hokkaido
three hours after the first quake.

Japan and Russia's Far Eastern provinces form part of the Pacific
Ocean's seismically active "Ring of Fire."