Zagreb (Croatia) – The central Croatian region was hit by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday. One child was killed. In the Croatian capital Zagreb, there is said to have been significant property damage.
Further property damage was also reported in the vicinity of the epicenter. It is located around 45 kilometers southeast of Zagreb.
After the earthquake in Croatia, the Krsko nuclear power plant was shut down in neighboring Slovenia. It is a precautionary measure, said a spokeswoman for the facility on Tuesday.
The Krsko nuclear power plant is located directly on the border with CroatiaPhoto: AFP
First fatality
Pictures in Croatian media showed collapsed houses in Petrinja and fire brigades looking for victims. A child was killed there by rubble, reported the portal “jutarnji.hr”.
The hospitals in Petrinja and the nearby district capital Sisak were reportedly badly damaged.
The center of Petrinja is practically in ruins:
The quake on Tuesday was the second in a row in 30 hours. Magnitude 5.2 and 5.0 tremors were recorded in the same area on Monday.
In the city of Petrinje, the town hall was damaged on Monday, as Mayor Darinko Dumbovic reported to the station N1. Some buildings have suffered considerable damage, Dumbovic said.
Many people therefore did not dare to go back into their homes.
Cracks appeared in several facades in nearby Sisak. The fire brigade was on duty there to secure the damage and to come to the aid of the residents.
► Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic visited the region together with President Zoran Milanovic. According to Plenkovic, the military was also involved in the clean-up work.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic (center) and President Zoran Milanovic (right) in SisakPhoto: AP
► EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter that the Commission is in contact with Plenkovic and his government and is ready to help.
Only in March did a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in Zagreb cause major damage. A youth had died and more than two dozen people were injured.
The Balkans are on a large tectonic fault line. The region is regularly shaken by earthquakes.
Quake felt as far as Italy
► In Austria, the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Vienna (ZAMG) spoke of a strength of 6.1. The quake was noticeable in many regions of Austria, for example in Carinthia, Styria and the Vienna area.
► The earthquake could also be felt in some areas of Italy, as the Italian civil protection authority announced. The authority is in contact with their local facilities. Numerous Italian users wrote on Twitter that they had felt the quake.