ZAGREB, Dec. 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — No casualties have been reported hours after a series of earthquakes hit central Croatia near the capital Zagreb on Monday, local officials said.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the first 5.2 magnitude quake hit about 50 kilometers southeast of Zagreb at 6:28 a.m. local time (0528 GMT), followed by a strong aftershock with a magnitude of 5.0 at 7:49 a.m. (0649 GMT), with the epicenter near the towns of Sisak and Petrinja.
The Prefect of Sisak-Moslavina County, Ivo Zinic, said that no building has collapsed, but there is a lot of damage inside people’s homes and on roofs. “Luckily, there are no casualties and no one was injured, the damage is not so visible, there are no demolished buildings or structures, and there is no damage to industrial plants and refineries,” Zinic told Radio Quirinus.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic visited Sisak and Petrinja on Monday. The prime minister said that the state will help both cities in repairing the damage. “The damage is significant in the buildings we visited, but nobody is injured. That’s the most important,” Plenkovic said.
The earthquake was felt throughout central Croatia, including Zagreb, where some residents fled to the streets. On March 22, the capital was severely damaged by a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3, which killed one person and injured 30.
“Unfortunately, this year we already have a lot of experience with intervention measures. There is a possibility of redistribution within the budget that exists with the Ministry of Construction and State Property,” Plenkovic told local media after visiting Petrinja and Sisak.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union (EU) stands ready to help. “Stay strong Croatia! After a powerful earthquake struck this morning, the European Commission is in contact with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the Croatian authorities. We are following the situation closely and stand ready to help,” she wrote on Twitter.
