Seven people died when an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit central Croatia on 29th December 2020.
Before the earthquake there were three foreshocks, the strongest one of which was magnitude 5.2. The epicentre was 3km away from the town Petrinja, but the effects of the earthquake could be felt even in neighbouring countries, as seen on the map below.
The earthquake was followed by many aftershocks and the threat of another strong earthquake is not over yet. See the graph with these statistics below.
The devastating pictures of the consequences, primarily around Petrinja, quickly went viral on the internet.
People from other parts of Croatia, and even further, showed solidarity as many donations were sent towards impacted areas. In the days following the earthquake, many travelled to Petrinja and the villages most affected despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Red Cross Croatia and many other organisations were collecting charity donations to help those who lost their belongings and homes in this natural tragedy.