
The epicenter of Wednesday's 4,7 magnitude earthquake was in the Black Sea off the city of Varna. Photo by aimoti.bg
There is no damage or injuries currently reported from the relatively strong earthquake that shook Bulgaria Wednesday morning.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center, the earthquake was of the magnitude of 4,7 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 61 km east of Varna, 24 km east of Kavarna and 20 km southeast of Shabla.
The shocks have been felt the strongest in northern and northeastern Bulgaria as well as in taller buildings in the capital Sofia.
The data about the registered quake is still being processed.
Eyewitnesses reported for Darik radio that some older houses in the Black sea town of Shabla and the hospital in another coastal town- Blachik have been very slightly damaged.
The Civil Defense in the Black Sea capital Varna announced they currently do not have any information about damage in the region. The shock, however, triggered interruptions in the internet, cell and stationary phone services in the city. The same problem has been reported from the city of Razgrad.
The head of the Crisis Headquarters in the Danube city of Ruse also informed that there has not been any registered damage or injuries.
The earthquake did, however, cause moderate panic and made people leave their offices and upper level apartments.
The tremor has been registered in the so-called Shabla epicenter known with some strong earthquakes in the past.
The Wednesday earthquake in northern Bulgaria brought memories of March 4, 1977 when a strong earthquake caused mass destruction in northern Bulgaria.
The epicenter was in Romania's mountainous area of Vrancea, home to a major fault line that has seen dozens of quakes in recent years.
The 1977 7.6-magnitude quake killed more than 1,000 people in the Vrancea area when dozens of buildings collapsed.
In Bulgaria, the Danube town of Svishtov suffered the most damage when two apartment buildings collapsed, killing 120 people. Buildings in may other northern cities and towns also suffered significant damage.