Earthquake shakes Kotka as residents report feeling tremors

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck near Kotka on Tuesday evening, with the Seismological Institute’s automated monitoring system pinpointing the tremor east of Kotkansaari island at approximately 18:20 local time.

Residents across the city reported feeling the quake, including Sari Hassinen, who lives on Kotkansaari. “I was watching TV when the sofa suddenly swayed side to side,” she said. “My son felt it too, but there was no sound.” Hassinen experienced a similar event in November 2025, when a 1.2-magnitude quake near Kotka’s main harbor woke her at midnight. “That one was a real jolt—it sounded like a crash, and I thought a car had hit the building,” she recalled.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in the Kymenlaakso region. In March, a 1.4-magnitude tremor was recorded in Kouvola, and over 20 quakes were logged in the area last year alone. Seismologist Jari Korström noted earlier this year that the region can see dozens of minor tremors over days or weeks, though not all are automatically detected. Pressure from Iceland’s tectonic activity can cause shifts in the Eurasian Plate, triggering small quakes in Finland.

The Seismological Institute’s preliminary data remains unconfirmed, with verification expected within three to five business days.