Strongest earthquake in 140 years hits Croatia
An earthquake hit Croatia’s capital Zagreb on Sunday morning, damaging buildings and cars and injuring a teenager
The earthquake is said to be the strongest to hit Croatia in 140 years with a magnitude of 5.4 according to the United States Geological Survey. Since the initial earthquake, there followed a 4.6-magnitude aftershock.
A teenage boy was seriously injured after a roof collapsed in Zagreb.
Zarko Rasik, Director of the Zagreb Institute of Emergency Medicine, said: "We received a report of the collapse of the building at Djordjiceva 13. An ambulance team took to the field and found a seriously injured child.”
Aside from the boy, another 16 people were injured. After the tremor, Zagreb’s mayor urged people to return to their homes amid fears of spreading the coronavirus.
Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said: "Keep your distance. Don't gather together. We are facing two serious crises, the earthquake and the epidemic.”
Several buildings were damaged, including the historic Zagreb Cathedral, with the top of one of the spires broken off. The parliament was damaged too, which will now be out of action until further notice.
The earthquake was a reason for many people to head towards their holiday homes by the coast, but police closed down roads to prevent people from entering coastal districts and spreading the virus. Croatia has more than 200 Covid-19 infections, many of them in the capital.
"This was the strongest earthquake in Zagreb in the last 140 years, but there is no need to panic and go to gas stations in large numbers," Government Officials stated on Twitter. "Regardless of the situation, we emphasize once again the importance of keeping a distance and following the instructions to combat Covid-19!"