The Croatian capital Zagreb was just rocked by their largest earthquake in more than 140 years on Sunday while they were in the middle of a coronavirus lockdown.
Just after 6 am the 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook residents from their beds, causing many to flee into the streets. According to reports, 17 people were injured, one of which was a 15-year-old in critical condition.
Many buildings were damaged including Zagreb’s cathedral and the nation’s parliament building. Photos from the city show bricks and broken concrete littering the streets and many walls show large cracks.
Croatian Parliament speaker Gordan Jandroković said: “The damage is quite extensive. Walls and stairways have cracked on the upper floor and one section of the roof has been destroyed,” meetings will be postponed for now.
Having to deal with the worst earthquake in modern times is difficult enough, but to happen in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak made the situation even more terrifying for locals. Interior Minister, Davor Božinović spoke to Hina, the state news agency:
There are rules for when there is an earthquake, but when there is an earthquake at the same time when there is a global pandemic then it’s a much more complex situation.
Just after the quake people with many people taking to the streets Božinović told citizens:
Keep your distance. Don’t gather together. We are facing two serious crises, the earthquake, and the epidemic.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković urged people to remain calm and originally told people to stay outside of their homes, fearing an aftershock and possible injuries.
Photos on Twitter showed a maternity hospital was evacuated with mothers holding their newborn babies out in the cold until soldiers helped escort them to a new location deemed safe.
At the time of the earthquake, there were at least 235 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Croatia, so residents had been advised to keep in their homes to avoid further spread of the disease.
As residents had come outside to avoid further danger, they could have been putting themselves in a different danger, risking possible exposure to the virus. Health Minister Vili Beros told residents to stand at least 2 meters apart in the streets. “Earthquakes are dangerous, but coronavirus is even more so,” said Beros.
The Croatian military helped out with soldiers wearing masks clearing the rubble from the streets and assisting those in need.
After officials got together Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic recommended everyone returns to their homes, as reported by the BBC: “80% of Zagreb residents live in structures that have reinforced concrete structures,” said Bandic.
Citizens now must return home and try to wait out the virus before assessing the damage done to their city from this earthquake, which was reportedly also felt in southern Austria and Slovenia.
