Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Croatia
What's the story
A strong earthquake hit central Croatia on Tuesday, crumbling buildings and sending panicked people fleeing into rubble-covered streets in a town southeast of the capital. At least six people were killed and dozens were injured in the disaster. The European Mediterranean Seismological Center said the earthquake was of 6.3 magnitude and had been felt as far as 46 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Zagreb.
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What happened in Petrinja, the worst-hit town?
A 12-year-old girl died in Petrinja, a town of some 25,000 people. At least 20 people were hospitalized, two with serious injuries, in the town. Five people were killed in a nearly destroyed village close to the town. Channel N1 reported that a building collapsed and fell on a car. The footage showed fire fighters trying to remove the debris.
Disastrous
This is like Hiroshima: Petrinja Mayor Darinko Dumbovic
"My town has been completely destroyed. We have dead children. This is like Hiroshima, half of the city no longer exists," Petrinja Mayor Darinko Dumbovic said. "The quake felt worse than a war," said Marica Pavlovic, a resident of Petrinja. "It was horrible, a shock, you don't know what to do, whether to run out or hide somewhere," she told The Associated Press.
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500 places ready in Army barracks to house people: PM
"The biggest part of central Petrinja is in the red zone, therefore most buildings are unusable," Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said. "The army has 500 places ready in barracks to house people and some nearby hotels," he added.
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Steps being taken to deal with the disaster
The patients from a damaged hospital in the nearby town of Sisakare are being evacuated in army helicopters and ambulances. The Croatian military is deployed in the region of Petrinja to help with the rescue operation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter that she spoke with Plenkovic and instructed an envoy to travel to Croatia as soon as possible.
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von der Leyen informed of EU's support on Twitter
After another powerful earthquake in Croatia, the 2nd in the past 2 days, I spoke with Prime Minister @AndrejPlenkovic again.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 29, 2020
We are ready to support. I have asked @JanezLenarcic to stand ready to travel to Croatia as soon as the situation allows.
We stand with Croatia.
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Krsko nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down
Croatian seismologist Kresimir Kuk described the earthquake as extremely strong, far stronger than the one that hit Zagreb and nearby areas in spring. He warned people to stay away from potentially shaky old buildings and move to newer areas of the city due to aftershocks.