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ZAGREB, Croatia – A powerful earthquake struck central Croatia on Tuesday, causing major damage to homes and other buildings in a town southeast of the capital. A girl was killed in the quake, and a man and boy were dragged alive from a car buried in ruins and taken to a hospital.
The European Seismological Center for the Mediterranean has given a strength of 6. 3 earthquakes occurred 46 kilometers southeast of Zagreb. Initial reports said the earthquake caused great damage and collapsed roofs, building facades and even some entire buildings.
The same area was hit by a 5. 2 quakes on Monday and several smaller aftershocks were felt on Tuesday.
Croatian state broadcaster HRT said a girl died in the earthquake in Petrinja, a city southeast of the capital that was hardest hit by the earthquake. Other Croatian media also reported the death and quoted the city’s mayor. The child’s age or other details were not immediately available.
« The Petrinja center as it used to be no longer exists, » HRT said in its report. “A girl has died and there are injuries and people in collapsed buildings. ”
« My city has been completely destroyed, we have dead children, » Petrinja Mayor Darinko Dumbovic said in a statement from HRT TV. “It’s like Hiroshima – half of the city no longer exists. ”
« The city has been demolished, the city is no longer worth living, » he said. « We need help. ”
The regional television station N1 reported live from the city on Tuesday that a collapsed building had fallen on a car. The footage showed firefighters trying to clear the debris in order to reach the car buried underneath. A man and a young boy were eventually rescued from the car and placed in an ambulance.
Fallen bricks and dust lay on the streets and many houses were completely destroyed. The Croatian military was deployed in Petrinja to help with the rescue operation.
Croatian media said that people were injured by the quake, but could not initially tell how many were in the midst of the confusion and broken phone lines.
The Croatian seismologist Kresimir Kuk described the earthquake as « extremely strong », far stronger than another one that hit Zagreb and the surrounding areas in the spring. He warned people to stay away from potentially rickety old buildings and move to newer neighborhoods because of the aftershocks.
In the capital, people ran into the streets and parks in fear. Many reportedly left Zagreb ignoring a travel ban imposed because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The earthquake was felt throughout the country and in neighboring Serbia, Bosnia and Slovenia. It could even be felt as far as Graz in southern Austria, reported the Austria Press Agency.
Authorities in Slovenia said the Krsko nuclear power plant was temporarily shut down after the earthquake. The power plant is jointly owned by Slovenia and Croatia and is located near their border.
Earthquake, Croatia, Zagreb
World news – USA – Magnitude 6. 3 earthquakes hit Croatia; 1 death reported
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– Strong 6. Magnitude 3 earthquake hits Central Croatia
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Ref: https://abcnews.go.com
