7.4-magnitude quake hits 234km ESE of Nikol'skoye, Russia -- USGS

NEW YORK, July 17 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale jolted 234km ESE of Nikol'skoye, Russia at 23:34:21 GMT on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 48.3 km, was initially determined to be at 54.2 degrees north latitude and 169.2 degrees east longitude.