Strong 4.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Dalmatia

(Photo: Croatian Seismological Survey)

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale was recorded on Tuesday evening in Croatia, the Croatian Seismological Survey has confirmed.

The epicentre was located 15 km northeast of Starigrad Paklenica new the city of Zadar, with an intensity of six degrees on the EMS scale.

The tremor occurred at 18:43 and was strongly felt in the Zadar area, around Posedarje, and parts of Lika.

According to reports from residents, the quake was powerful enough to cause people in Starigrad Paklenica to flee their homes.

The earthquake was also felt in a much wider area, with reports coming in from Split, Brač, Zagreb, and Pula. Tremors were even noticed in neighbouring countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Italy.

No Injuries or Damage Reported

The Zadar County 112 Centre confirmed that they did not receive any reports of injuries or material damage following the earthquake.

Eyewitness Accounts

Many residents across Croatia shared their experiences of the quake. A resident from Šibenik reported strong shaking, while someone from the island of Rab described feeling a “strong impact”. In the centre of Zadar’s old town, people described hearing rumbling and feeling shaking for about ten seconds.

Local officials, including the mayor of Starigrad, Marin Čavić, confirmed for 24sata that there were no immediate signs of damage. However, given the strength of the earthquake, authorities remain vigilant.

#potres (#earthquake) 11.02. u 18:43 kod Starigrada Paklenice, M4.8. Opširnije na https://t.co/B3hhvb8Gej. Ako ste osjetili potres, molimo javite na https://t.co/RJDaIJlwpM

— Seizmološka služba HR (@seizmo_hr) February 11, 2025

Čavić stated that he had already contacted Civil Protection head Mario Zubčić, and teams were on the ground assessing the situation.

Zadar County fire chief Matej Rudić added that they had received no calls regarding damage and did not expect any significant issues.