Strong earthquake in southern Bosnia – A dead and extensive damage

A strong earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), struck southern Bosnia on Friday, killing at least one person and injuring several others, according to the US Geological Survey. with Bosnian media.

A 28-year-old resident of Stolac, who was injured when a rock fell on her house due to the earthquake, died at the hospital where she was treated in the nearby city of Mostar, said a source close to the health structure who was quoted by several media.

Several other people were slightly injured, including members of the victim’s family in Stolac.

Material damage, especially cracks in walls and collapses, was reported by authorities and Civil Protection in Stolac, Ljublin and Mostar.

The earthquake was felt in much of the Balkans, an area with intense seismic activity. The epicenter was reported 14 kilometers northeast of Lublin (4,000 inhabitants), according to the USGS. It was 16 km from Stolats (14,000 inhabitants) and 42 km southeast of Mostar (105,000 inhabitants), according to an estimate by the Euro-Mediterranean Seismology Center (EMSC).

The quake, which lasted about 20 seconds, was felt as far away as Belgrade, Zagreb and Skopje, more than 400km from its epicenter, according to AFP correspondents. It was followed by several more, less powerful ones.

The previous strong earthquake in the Balkans (magnitude 6.4) was recorded on December 29, 2020 in Croatia, in the region of Petrina (central), with the official report talking about seven dead and hundreds of buildings, mostly houses, damaged. In March 2020, the Croatian capital was already hit by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake which caused extensive damage.

In November 2019, more than 50 people lost their lives in Albania due to a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, which left thousands homeless.