Zagreb was hit by a catastrophic earthquake five years ago

(Patria) - The earthquake of magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale that struck Zagreb on March 22, 2020, was the strongest in the last 140 years in the Zagreb area.

Half an hour after the main shock, another earthquake of magnitude 5.0 followed. In the days that followed, a series of aftershocks occurred, with about 3,500 recorded by the end of 2021.

The earthquake occurred at a time when epidemiological measures were being introduced and fear was spreading due to the newly discovered coronavirus, which was an additional aggravating circumstance.

Footage of women in labor in front of the hospital in Petrova Street, the damaged cathedral tower, as well as streets and parked cars covered with bricks and stones, went around the world and remained etched in the collective consciousness of the citizens.

The earthquake significantly damaged the historic city center, and the surrounding counties also suffered consequences.

The greatest tragedy was the loss of a young life, a 15-year-old girl who was hit by a beam in the apartment where she lived.

More than 30 people were injured, and more than 20,000 left their homes in the city center.

More than 25,000 buildings were damaged, of which six thousand were marked as unusable or temporarily unusable.