Magnitude 4.8 earthquake hits Romania

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Romania’s Vrancea seismic region at 11:51 a.m. on Monday, October 19, according to the National Institute for Earth Physics (INCDFP). The quake occurred in Buzău County at a depth of 124.1 kilometers.

The epicenter was located 54 km south of Buzău, 58 km east of Brașov, 60 km southeast of Sfântu Gheorghe, and 62 km north of Ploiești. It was also 72 km south of Focșani and 90 km northeast of Târgoviște.

According to comments on the Institute's website, the earthquake was felt in Bucharest, as well as cities such as Galați, Sibiu, Iași, Tulcea, Brǎila, or Constanța.

“So far, no calls have been received through the 112 emergency service, and no property damage or casualties have been reported,” Romania’s General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) said shortly after the earthquake. “Operational crews are in the field conducting reconnaissance missions.”

Meanwhile, Bucharest emergency crews sent a specialized vehicle to inspect the capital’s Old Town for possible damage.

“At this time, an ISU Bucharest-Ilfov vehicle is conducting a reconnaissance mission in the Old Town area to identify any possible consequences,” the local emergency inspectorate said, as quoted by Agerpres. “No calls have been registered through the 112 emergency number.”

IGSU also reminded the public that Romania’s RO-ALERT system does not issue warnings before earthquakes.

Monday’s earthquake was the strongest recorded in Romania so far this year, according to Agerpres. The previous most significant quake was a magnitude 4.5 event recorded in Vrancea County on February 26.