Neftegorsk ( ) , formerly Vostok ( , lit . '' east '' ) before 1970 , was an urban-type settlement in Sakhalin Oblast , Russia . It was devastated on May 28 , 1995 by an earthquake , which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale , killing 2,040 people out of a total population of 3,197 . An oil-producing town in northern Sakhalin , all buildings in Neftegorsk suffered extensive damage and many were completely destroyed , as they had been built with low quality concrete and were not designed to withstand seismic activity . The majority of the victims were killed by the rubble of their apartment buildings collapsing . Neftegorsk was almost totally flattened , and it was decided not to be rebuilt , instead a memorial was constructed in the area . Many survivors were relocated to other towns in Sakhalin such as Okha , Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk , and Nogliki , while others left Sakhalin for the mainland
an earthquake
1995 Neftegorsk earthquake
Neftegorsk, Sakhalin Oblast