March 22, 2020 - 14:38 AMT
Powerful earthquake rocks Croatia's Zagreb

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit Zagreb and its surroundings at on Sunday, March 22 morning, the strongest in over 140 years, Croatia Week reports.

According to a report from Al Jazeera, as firefighting and rescue operations were ongoing at several locations across Zagreb, news outlets reported that a 15-year-old was in critical condition and others were injured.

The tremor lasted a few seconds with the epicenter seven kilometres north of Zagreb, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported on its website.

One more strong earthquake shook Zagreb at 7 am.

Buildings in the center of the city, including the bell tower of Zagreb’s Cathedral, were damaged. There was an electricity outage in some residential areas.

The Interior Ministry on Sunday morning recommended that residents should stay outside and keep a distance in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection.

"It lasted over 10 seconds. By far the strongest I have ever felt," one witness said, adding that it was followed by several aftershocks.

In Zagreb, people fled apartments and took to the streets․

So far, Croatia has confirmed 206 cases of the virus and one death.

Photo. HINA/Damir SEN