Russia island quake on Aug. 2 left 8,000 homeless

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia, Aug 23 (Reuters) An earthquake this month on Russia's Pacific island of Sakhalin left 8,000 people homeless, four times more than initially announced, the local administration said today.

Officials previously said the quake on August 2, which was also felt in nearby Japan, left 2,000 people unable to return to damaged homes in the most badly hit town of Nevelsk.

Alexei Bayani, spokesman for the Sakhalin administration, said 2,000 families had now applied for housing rehabilitation certificates. ''We are looking at housing around 8,000 people,'' he said.

A total of 3,478 apartments were destroyed, Bayani added.

The island's governor, Ivan Malakhov, left his job after the quake. His departure came shortly after President Vladimir Putin criticised local officials for their handling of the aftermath of the quake, which killed four people.

REUTERS AM RN1429