Croatian quake hell Parts of Zagreb left in rubble by 5.3 temblor; 17 hurt
Seventeen people were injured and numerous buildings were damaged when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake roared through Croatia’s capital of Zagreb on Sunday.
The earthquake, which occurred a little before 6:30 a.m., was the largest to hit Zagreb in 140 years, according to the country’s prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic.
One of the victims injured in the quake — identified as a 15-year-old girl — is in critical condition, according to officials, with doctors saying they’re working to save her.
Conditions of the other victims have not been disclosed.
Among the buildings damaged was the capital’s famed cathedral, which had been reconstructed following the 1880 earthquake.
Other buildings saw walls and roofs collapse, leaving debris in the streets. Multiple fires were reported as well.
Many people evacuated their homes. Croatia’s minister of health urged those displaced from their residences to continue practicing “social distancing” amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused the capital to adopt a partial lockdown.
“Earthquakes are dangerous, but coronavirus is even more so,” said the health minister, Vili Beroš.
Due to the pandemic, people were asked not to group up together in popular public areas and to return home if they can.
Plenkovic also reiterated the importance of social distancing and vowed to remove debris from the streets as soon as possible.
“We have two parallel crises that contradict each other,” Plenkovic said.