By Canadian Press

Moderate 5.0 magnitude quake hits Croatia, damages buildings

Dec 28, 2020 | 5:46 AM

ZAGREB, Croatia — A moderate earthquake hit central Croatia near the capital of Zagreb early Monday, triggering panic and damaging some buildings in towns south of the city. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Croatia’s seismologists said the magnitude of the quake that struck around 6:30 a.m. (0530 GMT) was 5.0, with the epicenter near the towns of Petrinja and Sisak 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the capital. Several smaller tremors were felt after the initial one.

The mayor of Petrinja, Darinko Dumbovic, told state HRT television that “we have bricks and tiles in the streets and fallen chimneys.”

The quake was also felt in neighbouring Bosnia. In Croatia’s capital, it awoke residents and sent them fleeing into the streets. Security cameras showed parked cars shaking for several seconds, triggering their alarms.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic promised state help in repairing the damage while he toured the quake-hit regions on Monday.

1000 Ways to Heal

1000 Ways to Heal: Moons

Dec 10, 2024

Question of the Week

Should Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson apologize or resign after it was found he breached a section of council's code of conduct for allowing false or misleading information to be communicated?

Dec 09, 2024

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Donald has it wrong - again

Dec 08, 2024

“This year is ending the way it started,” Plenkovic said, referring to an earlier earthquake in Croatia that came on top of the coronavirus outbreak that is challenging the EU-member nation.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is closely following the situation Monday and stands ready to help.

“Stay strong Croatia!,” she said on Twitter.

Earlier this year, the Zagreb area was hit by a strong quake on March 22, causing substantial damage. One person died and at least 27 were injured.

The Associated Press