5.3-magnitude earthquake hits Croatian capital

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake hits Croatian capital Zagreb on Sunday at 06:24 am local time (GMT0524), according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center.

A strong aftershock of 5.1-magnitude occurred at around 07:00 am (GMT0600).

Videos and photos from social media have shown property damages in the capital.

The earthquakes happened 10 km underground, and the epicenter was about 10 km north of the capital city, authorities said.

According to the local civil protection authorities, the earthquake has caused severe material damage in the city, especially in downtown Zagreb, where walls and ceilings were damaged and cars parked alongside the roads were destroyed by fallen bricks.

In the first shock, part of the north tower of the Cathedral, a famous church built in the 13th century, collapsed.

Several people are reportedly injured. A 15-year-old boy was resuscitated after previous media reports said he died from fallen ceilings.

The quakes hit as Croatia recorded more than 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday morning. According to national news agency Hina, the Interior Ministry recommended that residents wear protective masks and keep social distancing in order to contain the spread of the virus.

The country’s Defense Ministry has mobilized soldiers to help cleanup and rescue work

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Source: Xinhua – ZAGREB