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5.1-magnitude quake in North Korea suspected to be ‘explosion’

January 5, 2016

BEIJING (Yonhap) — A 4.9-magnitude earthquake was detected in North Korea on Wednesday, China’s state-run media reported, citing the country’s earthquake monitoring agency that reportedly suspected the quake to be an explosion.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) put the tremor at magnitude 5.1, at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre 19 kilometres east-north-east of Sungjibaegam.

The quake occurred at 9:30 a.m. (local time), the report by China’s Xinhua news agency said.

“The epicenter was initially determined to be at 41.3 degrees north latitude and 129.1 degrees east longitude,” the report said.

The coordinates are close to the North’s nuclear test site.

It was not immediately known whether the tremor was a result of a nuclear test by North Korea.

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013.