Magnitude 5.6 quake hits eastern Romania as seismic activity on rise

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Romania's eastern county of Vrancea on Saturday morning, said the National Institute for Earth Physics.

It was the strongest earthquake in some two years since a 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit the country on Nov. 22, 2014.

The quake was strongly felt in the capital city of Bucharest and the neighboring Republic of Moldova.

There were no reports of casualties, injuries or major material damage so far.

The epicenter, with a depth of 88.3 kilometers, was determined to be near Nereju Town, some 150 kilometers northeast of Bucharest.

As many as 25 other seismic events took place in Romania in September, with magnitudes between 2.5 to 4.3.

Frequent earthquakes have occurred in Romania recently, with over 70 felt earthquakes reported since the beginning of the year. Most of the quakes occurred in Vrancea seismic zone.

The Vrancea seismic zone, including counties of Vrancea and Buzau, as well as surrounding mountains, 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 to 7.8.

In March 1977, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed 1,600 people in Romania and damaged 8,500 buildings.

Source : XINHUA