Small earthquake shakes up Romania over weekend

No injuries or damages were reported after a magnitude-5.5 earthquake struck central eastern Romania on Sunday morning (October 6). Measuring 5.5 degrees Richter, the quake originated from the Vrancea region but was felt across the country, including in the capital Bucharest. The tremor occurred at a depth of 130 kilometers, with its epicentre located 46 kilometers away form Focsani, the capital of the Vrancea county, in the country’s central eastern region. No material damages or casualties have been reported following the earthquake, which was followed by a smaller intensity reply. Romania has experienced several other earthquakes with magnitudes of at least 4 degrees Richter this year, with six smaller tremors recorded in the region of Sunday’s quake in the last 12 months. Vrancea is one of Romania's so-called 'seismic areas', as most of the earthquakes felt in the country have their epicenter there. The recent earthquake may shed some light on the recent, yet unexplained, series of small surface earthquakes in the nearby region of Galati, where 78 small tremors have been recorded since September 23. The strongest, 3.9 degrees Richter, happened on September 29. editor@romania-insider.com