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Friday, Aug. 3, 2007

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MOSCOW -- About 2,000 people have moved to tent camps in a Russian village where a powerful earthquake left apartment buildings in ruins, officials said Friday.

The 6.4-magnitude quake struck Thursday on the southern tip of Sakhalin island, just north of Japan. It generated small tsunami waves in northern Japan, and a second quake of magnitude 5.9 struck a few hours later.

Worst hit was the port town of Nevelsk, home to 17,300 people. One woman died when the roof of the town's Palace of Culture collapsed. A man there died of a heart attack. Twelve people remained hospitalized Friday, said Olga Shekhovtseva, a spokeswoman for the regional emergency agency.

Tent camps were set up for about 2,000 people forced to move out of 31 apartment buildings that were badly damaged, some of them beyond repair, the spokeswoman said. About 200 children were sent away to summer camps.

Two cargo planes were to arrive Friday with more tents, blankets, food and radiators, Shekhovtseva said. Railway cars capable of accommodating 300 people also were on their way.

The spokeswoman said there was no panic in the town, where tremors are not unusual.

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

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No injuries or damage from Thursday's quakes were reported in Japan.

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