Magnitude 5.7 earthquake rocks southern Bosnia: one killed, several injured, significant damage

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake has rocked southern Bosnia with media reports saying at least one person had been killed and several injured.

The earthquake struck late on Friday, at an epicentral distance of 42km (26 miles) south east of the city of Mostar, European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of five kilometers (3.1 miles), it added.

A 28-year-old woman died from injuries after a boulder crashed down a hill and struck her house in the town of Stolac, near Mostar. Several others were injured, including members of the victim’s family.

The earthquake also toppled walls and caused damage to property in several other localities, including Mostar and the town of Ljubinje, according to Local and Civil Defence authorities.

It was felt across the Balkans as far away as Belgrade, Zagreb and Skopje, more than 400km (249 miles) from the epicentre, according to media reports.

The EMSC warned that “aftershocks are likely to happen in the coming hours and days”.

The Balkan region is very prone to seismic activity and earthquakes are frequent.

A magnitude 6.4 quake in December 2020 in the Petrinja region of Croatia, near the capital Zagreb, killed seven people and destroyed hundreds of buildings and houses.

In March 2020, Zagreb was hit by a magnitude 5.3 tremor that caused extensive damage.

In November 2019, more than 50 people were killed in Albania by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that also left thousands homeless.