LATEST: Magnitude-5.0 Earthquake Occurs in Eastern Slovakia

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in eastern Slovakia at about 20:23 Oct. 9. The epicenter was about 15 km south-southeast of Stropkov.

The tremor struck at the earth’s surface with no appreciable depth. Moderate-to-strong shaking was reported across eastern Slovakia, with weak-to-moderate shaking reported further away from the epicenter in southeastern Poland, northeastern Hungary, northwestern Romania, and southwestern Ukraine.

There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, some light damage is possible in areas near the epicenter.

Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter.

In Vranov nad Topľou, Humenné, Snina, Prešov, Michalovce, and Bardejov, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.

Weak shaking might have been felt in Trebišov, and Košice.

It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage.

Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible where shaking occurred.