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Series of earthquakes hit Russia's Far East island of Sakhalin
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AFP) May 31, 2004
 A series of earthquakes measuring up to 6.0 on the Richter scale hit the island of Sakhalin in Russia's far east Sunday and Monday, local emergency officials said early Monday.

The first earthquake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, rocked the Tatarsky Bay west of Sakhalin and was felt in several towns including the region's center Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Some 46 houses were damaged, but no casualties were reported, officials said.

Smaller tremors of 3.0 and 4.0 on the Richter scale were also registered.

Sakhalin Island, in the Okhotsk Sea north of Japan, is in a zone frequently subjected to seismic tremors, and has been the scene of several major earthquakes.

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