Scenes after earthquake ( Image Courtesy :European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
A massive earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit central Croatia near the town of Petrinja on Tuesday, with at least seven people dead and casualties reported as well as significant infrastructure damages.
Several smaller tremors of magnitudes 4.7, 4.8, 3.2, 1.9 on the Richter scale were sensed in the country hours apart on Wednesday, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
The magnitude-6.4 earthquake hit the town of Petrinja the severest, as it emanated after a magnitude-5.2 quake hit the same area on Sunday. The tremor occurred at mid-day 12.19 local time at the depth of 10 km, which was felt to different degrees in several countries, including Bosnia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Austria.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic told AFP late Tuesday that seven victims had been found so far and that the officials expected the death toll to rise. The European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter that the bloc is ready to support Croatia and its team will travel as soon as the situation allows.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Mediterranean region is seismically active due to the complex tectonic plate boundaries. Croatia being a Mediterranean country is prone to earthquakes, but not to frequent massive ones.