Pacific Ring of Fire rattled as strong earthquakes strike Japan, the Philippines and Nicaragua
The Pacific Ring of Fire is a massive, 25,000-mile ring of volcanoes and tectonic plate boundaries where 90 percent of the world's earthquakes occur.
Why earthquakes are felt differently in the US
While you may think quakes are a western US problem, some of the largest temblors in US history have happened in the East.
Japan, the Philippines and Nicaragua, three countries along the Pacific Ring of Fire, were struck by earthquakes Friday, adding to a week of heightened seismic activity including major earthquakes that devastated Venezuela.
The Pacific Ring of Fire is a massive, 25,000-mile ring of volcanoes and tectonic plate boundaries where 90 percent of the world's earthquakes occur.
DEATH TOLL RISES TO AT LEAST 235 AFTER BACK-TO-BACK MAJOR EARTHQUAKES DEVASTATE VENEZUELA
A magnitude 5.7 quake struck about 4 miles north of Oshino, Japan, at a depth of 32 miles, around 10:30 p.m. local time and was felt in Tokyo, according to USGS. No damage has been reported.
Earlier, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 33 miles below the surface just off the southern coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines around 7:30 p.m. local time Friday. There was no immediate word on the extent of any damage or injuries.
The quake struck in the same region as a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on June 8 that killed at least 61 people.
This photo shows a damaged building after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in General Santos City on June 8, 2026. (Photo by Edwin Espejo / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Nicaragua registered a magnitude 5.2 earthquake at a depth of 75 miles about 20 miles southwest of the capital of Managua, with no significant damage reported.
These strong earthquakes follow major earthquakes in Venezuela and Japan earlier this week.
The back-to-back magnitude 7.0-plus earthquakes that struck Venezuela midweek were the strongest to hit the country since 1900.
Check back for updates on this developing story.