SOCHI, January 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, was hit by a mild earthquake that caused no damage or casualties, Sochi seismic station head Yelena Karpovich said on Sunday.
“A mild earthquake with a 3.8 magnitude occurred at 8 o’clock in the morning. Small shocks with a magnitude of up to three points were felt on the upper floors of high-rise buildings in Sochi,” Karpovich said.
The earthquake epicenter was located in the Black Sea at a distance of about 22 km (14 miles) from the coast and at a depth of about 2 km (1.2 miles), the geophysical service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said on its website.
In later December 2012, Sochi was struck by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. Its epicenter was located 154 km (96 miles) south of Sochi, at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) in the Black Sea. After the earthquake, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry launched an inspection of Sochi Olympic sites to ensure there is no damage.