Bulgaria's Quake-Rattled Pernik Enjoyes Calm Night

Society » ENVIRONMENT | July 15, 2012, Sunday // 10:11
Bulgaria's Quake-Rattled Pernik Enjoyes Calm Night: Bulgaria's Quake-Rattled Pernik Enjoyes Calm Night The handles of the city clock in Bulgaria's Pernik are frozen at the time when the first and strongest quake shook it on May 22. Photo by BGNES

Only one light aftershock has been registered overnight in the area of the capital Sofia and the western city of Pernik, in the aftermath of the Saturday afternoon's 4.5-magnitude jolt.

The tremor was registered at 11 pm Saturday and had a 2.0 magnitude on the Richter scale.

The situation in Pernik is much calmer and people have spent the night in their homes. The Regional Governor of Pernik informs that no one had approached the authorities to request shelter.

Saturday's quake struck at 3.52 p.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers and the epicenter was 7 km southeast of Pernik and 19 kilometers west of Sofia.

Experts at the Geophysical Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) have rejected the possibility of a stronger earthquake occurring after Saturday afternoon. BAS scientists explained that the quake could only be followed by lighter and subsiding aftershocks

There have been a number of tremors, but they were also so light that only the equipment registered them.

No casualties or significant damage have been reported, but people in Pernik panicked and left their homes in a hurry in a reminiscence of the 5.8 earthquake that rattled the city on May 22. Some are reported to have been taking tranquilizers since yesterday and one teenage girl has broken her leg while running.

The Mayor of Pernik, Rositsa Yanakieva, says she has received so far information about 20 damaged buildings, but most was found to be exaggerated.

"It is normal, people are under stress," she explained.

In Sofia, where the shock was also felt, the situation was calm and remained calm without any signs of panic.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Environment » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: aftershocks, Geophysical Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Pernik, Richter scale, Earthquake, Regional Governor, Rositsa Yanakieva, mayor

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria