Minor earthquake hits Winter Olympics host Sochi

Moscow, Jan 13 (IANS): A mild earthquake measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale hit the 2014 Olympics host city of Sochi in Russia, the local seismic station said Sunday.

The mild quake, which occurred at 8:00 a.m. local time, was felt on the upper floors of tall buildings in the city, Sochi Seismic Station head Yelena Karpovich told RIA Novosti news agency.

The epicentre, with a depth of about two km, was located in the Black Sea at a distance of 22 km from the coast, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Black Sea resort was struck by earthquakes up to 5.6 magnitude Dec 23 and 26 with epicentres located in Georgia.

Following the December quakes, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry launched a thorough inspection of Olympics infrastructure facilities in the region, with technical staff examining the structural rigidity, the degree of tear and the existence of hidden defects.

Under the motto of “Hot. Cool. Yours.” the Sochi Games which features 98 medal events will open on Feb 7, 2014 and run until Feb 23.