Just after noon local time on Tuesday, December 29, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck central Croatia about 30 miles southeast of the capital, Zagreb, near the towns of Petrinja and Sisak. According to initial reports, seven people have died, and scores have been injured, some seriously. These numbers are expected to rise as search-and-rescue efforts continue.
There has been widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure, including the region’s largest hospital and a variety of other healthcare-related facilities. Hundreds of thousands of people are without power, and travel has been widely disrupted as officials assess damage to roads, bridges and local airports.
The quake on Tuesday came on the heels of a 5.2-magnitude tremblor that struck the region Monday. Though no injuries occurred as a result of that earthquake, many buildings were damaged, and thus weakened when the more powerful Tuesday quake struck the seismically active region. According to the US Geological Survey, the December 29 quake “is the largest earthquake to occur in Croatia since the advent of modern seismic instrumentation.”
International Medical Corps has an office and logistics hub in Split, Croatia, is working closely with contacts at the country’s Ministry of Health and has a team on the ground that assessing needs in the affected region. We are ready to immediately distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to affected healthcare facilities from our prepositioned stock, and can provide assistance in other areas—including medical care, supplies and temporary care facilities—as requested.
The situation is changing rapidly, so be sure to check this page for updates.
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