4-magnitude quake jolts eastern Romania

An earthquake measuring 4 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Vrancea region in eastern Romania on Monday morning. The quake occurred at 9:19 a.m. local time (GMT 0819) at a depth of 130 km and measured II on Mercalli scale at its epicenter, according to the National Institute for Earth Physics Research and Development. There is no report of casualty for now. The tremor was not felt in Romanian capital Bucharest. Vrancea is one of the most active seismic areas in Europe. It is known for its intermediate-depth (70-200 km) earthquakes, which can reach a magnitude of 7.0-7.8. A previous 4.7-magnitude earthquake made the Romanian people nervous on Oct. 4. There were no reports of casualties, injuries or material damage, but it reminded people of the 7.6-magnitude earthquake in March 1977 that killed 1,600 people in Romania and Bulgaria and damaged 8,500 buildings.