The situation in Zagreb has turned critical, following the strong (5.5 magnitude) earthquake that struck the city on Sunday morning, adding to the coronavirus emergency and the complete lockdown of Croatia, with confirmed cases rising to 306 this morning. “This is the biggest earthquake over the last 140 years, and we are now confronted with two crises, the earthquake and COVID-19”, Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic Andrej said, speaking of the “huge damage caused by the seismic waves to the buildings, especially in the capital’s historic city centre”. No casualties have been reported, 27 people were injured, 18 of them seriously.

The vicar of the Maria Bistrica parish was also affected, the Catholic news agency IKA reported. The priest, who was on an outdoor staircase, fell as a result of the quake and was immediately taken to hospital, where he was later discharged. The damage is huge, 250 buildings have been affected, although a complete assessment has not yet been carried out. All this happened as the Balkan country is in full lockdown for the COVID-19 emergency. People are urged to stay home, all outdoor public places have been shut down, and checkpoints have been set up to prevent people from leaving the city.