Russian Republic Shaken By Quake

An estimated magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit the southern Russian Republic of Dagestan last Friday, causing minor structural damage, but no injuries.

The country's Emergency Situations Ministry reported that the quake was centered between the cities of Kizil-Yurt and Dubki, in a remote western region near the border with Chechnya. Shaking was felt in the capital city of Makhachkala, where a number of homes were damaged.

The majority of buildings in the part of the Caucasus Mountains where Friday's quake hit are not structurally reinforced against earthquakes and are easily damaged.