Damage to 63 educational facilities after Zagreb earthquake

(Photo: HINA/ Daniel KASAP)

ZAGREB, March 24 (Hina) – Damage to 63 educational facilities caused by the earthquake that struck Zagreb and the surrounding area on Sunday has been reported to the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education (MZO), it was said on Tuesday.

Twenty-three primary schools, two secondary schools, 20 faculties and 18 institutes sustained damaged ranging from cracks on classroom walls and staircases, plaster falling from ceilings, glass breaking to roof tiles falling, larger cracks in walls and entire ceilings collapsing.

The Ministry said they still did not have information on whether a primary or secondary school had been assessed and classified as unusable, and they underscored that all facilities were awaiting assessment by statics experts.

So far, the Ministry has received information that the buildings housing the Old Church Slavonic Institute and the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health are unusable, as well as those housing the University of Zagreb’s Rectorate and the School of Medicine, which also reported damage.

Faculty of Civil Engineering establishes 12 damage assessment teams

The Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb, the Ministry said, has established 12 teams which are inspecting and carrying out damage assessment of buildings in the City of Zagreb, as part of the Zagreb Emergency Management Office.

The MZO underscores that they are in contact with them and exchanging data on facilities in the Ministry’s system, namely schools, faculties, institutes, but also the Ministry’s agencies, as well as the building housing the Ministry itself, which had sustained some damage and is awaiting an expert inspection.