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The 6.4 magnitude earthquake shook the Massif Central of Croatia. Several people died: in Zagreb, but especially in Petrinja and Sisak south of the capital, there was widespread devastation.
Of Christian Wehrschütz and Thomas Golser | 5.30 am, December 30, 2020
“It’s like Hiroshima, half of the city no longer exists. I am currently with the dead girl and we are waiting for help,” said the mayor of Petrinja, Darinko Dumbovic, I am HRT of Croatian state television the consequences of yesterday Earthquake in his small town of 24,000 inhabitants.
Petrinja is only 50 kilometers southeast of the capital Zagreb. The epicenter of the earthquake was between Sisak and Petrinja – The latter is best known in Croatia for the Gavrilovic sausage factory. The images of downtown Petrinje are devastating: the earthquake devastated entire streets, it was strong Central Institute of Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) a force of 6.0 on the Richter scale had destroyed. The bricks are in the streets, the roofs have collapsed, the cars are buried under the rubble.
At least seven deaths
A twelve-year-old boy died in Petrinja. In the village Majska Poljana bei Glina a father and son died in a house collapse. In the place that I was five dead in total. One person lost his life in a collapsed church near Sisak.
Participate in clean-up work in Petrinje and other affected cities Armed Forces, Fire Brigade and Civil Defense. Quote from an HRT reporter: “Petrinje as it was no longer exists.” The seriously injured were airlifted and the police asked everyone to leave their homes immediately. Many Croats will spend the next few days in containers: this applies not only to residents of destroyed houses, but also to buildings that at first glance do not show any damage, but whose static is questionable.
According to preliminary estimates, they were in Petrinje, Glina and Sisak 1000 houses damaged. It was still unclear yesterday how many people are still buried under the rubble: rescue work is in full swing. The old part of the Sisak hospital was also seriously damaged: 250 patients had to be transferred to other hospitals. A woman was lucky in Sisak hospital: she gave birth to her baby just during the earthquake; mother and child are fine.
A Croatian seismologist said that the energy released by the earthquake was 30 times stronger than when it was Earthquake this March in Zagreb. There were also tremors and damage to buildings there today. The earthquake caused a traffic collapse because many residents wanted to flee the capital in a hurry. In front of the Zagreb theater, eyewitnesses declared: “The shock and fear after the earthquake in March are very deep.”
Disaster in the middle of a pandemic
The earthquake could be felt far beyond Croatia and, of course, in Slovenia: it was there. Krsko Nuclear Power Plant it will turn off automatically and is now in the “safe idle state”, announced the management of the power plant in Krsko. Yesterday’s earthquake is the second to hit Croatia during the corona pandemic. This, of course, influences the evacuation of people affected by the current earthquake: 207,000 people have tested positive so far – 3,800 people died from or with the virus in Croatia.
Wave of help
“We stand by our Croatian friends in these difficult hours,” said the Foreign Minister. Alexander Schallenberg, who immediately offered help from Austria. Minister of Defense Klaudia tanner (ÖVP) contacted the Croatian Ministry of Defense. Also President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen promised quick help: “We are ready to support,” he wrote after speaking with the prime minister of Croatia. Andrej Plenkovic On twitter.
Hundreds of Croats offer support to earthquake victims through social media, from accommodation to food to clothing. Volunteers were asked to participate in the cleanup work.