A 15-year-old boy has died and dozens of people have been injured after a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit Croatia this morning, sparking blazes, cracking buildings and crushing cars under falling slabs of concrete.
People dashed onto the streets of Zagreb, the capital, at 6.23am (5.23am GMT) as their homes were shaken violently by the tremor.
Citizens had been ordered to stay inside due to coronavirus and banned from being in groups numbering more than five people. Croatia has recorded 206 cases of the virus and one death since the outbreak began.
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Many buildings cracked in the capital and walls and rooftops were damaged, photos of the destruction show. Downtown streets were also littered with debris, as concrete slabs fell on cars and chimneys landed in front of entrances.
Zagreb’s iconic cathedral was also damaged with the top of one of its two spires collapsing. The cathedral was rebuilt after it toppled in the 1880 earthquake.
Croatian media said a 15-year-old died. Officials said there were other injuries, but gave no immediate details.
Inside homes, residents shared photos of belongings falling off shelves, broken bottles and glass.
Power was also cut as the earthquake struck and several fires were reported. Two further tremors were recorded later.
The earthquake struck four miles north of the city at a depth of six miles, according to the European Seismological agency.
Source: Daily Mail
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