New Tremors Shake Croatia after Deadly Quake
Fresh tremors shook Croatia on Wednesday as the Adriatic country was still picking up the pieces of a deadly earthquake that claimed seven lives and reduced buildings to rubble the day before.
The aftershocks jangled nerves in towns south of Zagreb where Tuesday's 6.4-magnitude quake left gaping holes in buildings and crushed cars under mountains of bricks.
Many in and around the the hard-hit town of Petrinja spent a sleepless night in fear of new tremors, with some opting to pass the night in cars or shelter in a nearby military barracks.
"We spent the night in the car with our children, as did our inlaws in theirs. Our house is gone, it's all cracked inside, we can't be there anymore", a young woman from the small village of Majske Poljane, where five were killed, told regional broadcaster N1.
The dead also included a young girl who was struck dead by falling debris on a street in Petrinja, and another man who was buried beneath rubble in a nearby village church, a priest told state news agency HINA.
Wednesday morning's 4.8 and 4.7 magnitude aftershocks rattled the region before dawn, striking near the same epicentre 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Zagreb, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Rescue teams with dogs had spent the night scouring ruins in the area, but no new victims were found by the mountain rescue service, the organisation's chief Josip Granic told reporters.
At least 20 people were injured, Croatian police said, while six were rescued alive Tuesday from the wreckage with the help of dogs.
- EU aid -
The European Union's crisis management chief, Janez Lenarcic, was due to visit Petrinja on Wednesday as the bloc prepared aid for its member state.
"At the moment, mostly winter tents, electric heaters, sleeping beds and sleeping bags are needed as well as housing containers", Lenarcic wrote on Twitter.
Parts of Petrinja and the nearby town Sisak were still without electricity Wednesday morning.
Tuesday's major quake rocked homes, schools and other buildings in central Croatia that were already weakened by a moderate tremor a day earlier on Monday.
The Balkans lie near fault lines and see regular seismic activity.
Pope Francis expressed sympathy on Wednesday for the injured and for "those who have lost their lives and for their families" in Croatia, a mainly Catholic country.
"I hope that the authorities of the country, with the help of the international community, will soon be able to alleviate the suffering of the dear Croatian people".