PETRINJA, Croatia (AP) – Aftershocks shook central Croatia on Wednesday, a day after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed at least seven people, injured dozens and left several towns and villages in ruins.
The strongest, a quake of 4.7, was recorded near the heavily damaged city of Petrinja, about 25 kilometers southeast of the capital, Zagreb. Many people spent the night in tents, their cars or military barracks.
A rescuer walks past a building damaged during an earthquake in Petrinja, Croatia, on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. A strong earthquake struck Central Croatia, causing extensive damage and at least one death and about 20 injuries in the city southeast of the capital. Zagreb. (AP Photo)
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Neven Pavkovic, a resident, said the aftershocks kept him awake: “It was a rough night, I slept for maybe half an hour.”
In the badly hit village of Majske Poljane, where five people died, a small boy could be seen sleeping in a van on a cold morning.
Hobby villagers said they received blankets, food and other assistance, but did not know what they were going to do next. Rain that fell overnight turned the dust of the debris into mud and contributed to the suffering.
A view of buildings damaged during an earthquake in Petrinja, Croatia, on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. A strong earthquake hit Central Croatia and caused major damage and at least one death and about 20 injuries in the city southeast of the capital Zagreb arranged. (AP Photo)
“We can not say ‘Good morning’, it is not good,” Darinko Dumbovic, mayor of Petrinja, told Croatian radio. “We had the third and fourth earthquakes this morning, short but strong. What had not happened before, is now falling from the ruins of Petrinja.”
“Fear crept into people,” he said.
Pope Francis prayed for the victims. At the end of his weekly hearing, he said, “I pray especially for those who have died and for their families.”
A man stands amid the rubble of buildings damaged during an earthquake in Petrinja, Croatia, on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. A strong earthquake hit central Croatia and caused major damage and at least one death and approx. 20 injuries in the city southeast of the capital Zagreb. (AP Photo)
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said the government would declare a day of national mourning on Saturday. As the government abolished a travel ban between provinces imposed during the holidays due to the coronavirus pandemic, Plenkovic called for respect for other measures.
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“We are still fighting COVID-19, it would not be good to relax now,” Plenkovic said during a government meeting.
A view of the remains of a car covered by debris and buildings damaged during an earthquake in Petrinja, Croatia, on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. A strong earthquake hit Central Croatia and caused major damage and at least one death and 20 injuries in a city southeast of the capital Zagreb. (AP Photo)
Rescuers spent the night searching for possible survivors through the rubble of badly damaged buildings.
Officials said a 12-year-old girl was killed in Petrinja, a city of about 25,000 people. At least 26 people were admitted to hospital with injuries.
Tuesday’s earthquake, the strongest in Croatia since the introduction of the modern seismic measurement system, was felt across the region, including neighboring Bosnia, Serbia and Slovenia.
People walk through the rubble of buildings damaged during an earthquake in Petrinja, Croatia, on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. A strong earthquake hit Central Croatia and caused major damage and at least one death and about 20 injuries in the city southeast. of the capital Zagreb. (AP Photo)
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The central Croatian region was also hit by an earthquake in 5.2 on Monday.