Central Croatia earthquake: It’s good no one has been injured, PM says

(Photo: HINA/ Daniel KASAP/dk)

ZAGREB, Dec 28 (Hina) – Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic visited Sisak on Monday, accompanied by the president and several ministers, saying he was glad that no one had been injured in this morning’s strong earthquakes and that attempts would be made to repair the damage as soon as possible.

“We came to support our fellow citizens in Sisak-Mislavina County, in Sisak, Petrinja and the other towns and municipalities hit by this morning’s earthquake,” Plenkovic said, adding, “In a way, the year ends as it has been.”

All services will be at people’s disposal. The Civil Protection is here too and if the civil services need help, the Croatian Army stationed in Petrinja will help clean up the damage which is a bit bigger in Petrinja than in Sisak, he said.

Plenkovic said he was glad the tremors had not caused major damage, adding that he had talked with Sisak-Moslavina County prefect Ivo Zinic, the municipal head of Pokupsko as well as the mayors of Sisak, Petrinja and Zagreb, where the quakes were strongly felt too.

Now we have plenty of experience with earthquakes, we will try to list the damage and help Sisak, Petrinja and other areas that have been struck to repair the damage as soon as possible, said Plenkovic.

“You heard what the prime minister said. That’s it for now,” President Zoran Milanovic told the press when asked about engaging the army to clean up the damage on the model of the quake that struck Zagreb in March.

Prefect: No one injured, no building collapsed, oil refinery undamaged

County Prefect Zinic said during the state leadership’s visit to Sisak that no one had been injured in the quakes and that not one building had collapsed, adding that the local oil refinery and industrial plants were also undamaged.

He said, however, that buildings sustained damage to interiors and on roofs, and that the damage in Sisak was mostly in the city centre.

Zinic said a large quantity of ammonia was in the Gavrilovic factory, which is why they reduced production until everything was inspected.

In Petrinja there is almost no building that has not sustained chimney or roof damage.

“The damage is quite extensive, but nowhere near the damage in Zagreb (after the March quake). Some solutions have to be found, notably for roof repair,” Zinic said, adding that both firefighters and civil protection were on the ground.

Sisak hospital damaged but working normally

Sisak General Hospital director Tomislav Dujmenovic said the hospital sustained some damage in the tremors but that it was working normally.

The first quake today occurred at 6.28 a.m., measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale. Seismologist Kresimir Kuk said the epicentre was in Pokupsko near Petrinja, 50 km southeast of Zagreb and 12 km southwest of Sisak.

The Croatian Seismographic Service also recorded two aftershocks whose epicentre was 5 km southeast of Petrinja, the first at 7.49 a.m., measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale, and the second at 7.51 a.m., measuring 4.1. The epicentre was 10 km underground, 44 km southeast of Zagreb and 11 km southwest of Sisak.