Earthquake Shakes Southern Croatia and Bosnia

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The news in Croatian

1. zabilježiti
   zabilježiti znači nešto službeno upisati, evidentirati ili registrirati da ostane kao podatak ↩︎
2. magnituda  (f.)
   magnituda je mjera jačine potresa koja pokazuje koliko je snažan ↩︎
3. podrhtavanje  (n.)
   podrhtavanje je lagano i ponavljano tresenje tla ili nekog predmeta ↩︎
4. tutnjava  (f.)
   tutnjava je dubok, jak i neprekidan buka ili zvuk, često kao daleka grmljavina ↩︎
5. ozlijeđen
   ozlijeđen opisuje osobu koja je dobila tjelesnu štetu, ima ranu ili povredu ↩︎
6. šteta  (f.)
   šteta je ono što je oštećeno ili uništeno, gubitak nastao zbog nesreće ili lošeg događaja ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: When did the earthquake happen and where was its center?

Question 2: What effects did people notice, and was there any damage or injuries?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
zabilježiti	to record
magnituda  (f.)	magnitude
podrhtavanje  (n.)	tremor
tutnjava  (f.)	rumble
ozlijeđen	injured
šteta  (f.)	damage

Read the full story

An earthquake in the Adriatic Sea late on Wednesday night was felt across the south of Croatia and parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but there were no reports of injuries or damage, according to local authorities and seismological services.

The Croatian Seismological Service reported that the tremor was recorded at 23:07 local time, with its epicentre near the island of Mljet, off Croatia’s southern Dalmatian coast. The quake had a magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale, and the shaking at the epicentre was estimated at level V on the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS), which indicates a moderately strong event that can be clearly felt indoors.

The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), an independent monitoring network used widely across Europe, gave a very similar assessment. Its initial reports listed the magnitude as 3.9 to 4.0, with the hypocentre around 10 kilometres deep. Coordinates published by both services place the epicentre in the Adriatic Sea near Mljet1 kilometre, highlighting that some technical details can differ slightly between early measurements.

The quake was felt in a number of coastal communities. People in the Dubrovnik area and the Dubrovnik littoral (Dubrovačko primorje) described a distinct jolt and short shaking. Residents of Babino Polje on Mljet wrote that it shook “really strongly” but did not last long. In Ston, on the Pelješac peninsula, locals reported a loud rumbling sound followed by noticeable shaking that briefly alarmed the town.

From Mokošica, a suburb of Dubrovnik, several residents commented that the tremor was clearly felt and lasted a few seconds, with some describing an initial mild wave followed by a stronger movement. In Slano and nearby Šipanska Luka, people mentioned that stone houses shook, though there were no signs of structural damage. In Orašac, observers said the quake felt weaker and shorter, but even Christmas tree decorations and household items moved slightly.

Reports collected by the EMSC website show that the earthquake was noticed over a wide area of southern Dalmatia. Residents from places such as Žrnovica, Brela, Komin and Opuzen wrote that furniture, beds or household objects trembled for a few seconds, sometimes accompanied by a sound “like thunder”. Many described the experience as uncomfortable but brief, with no visible damage.

The tremor also reached into Bosnia and Herzegovina. People in Tasovčići reported that beds rocked and chandeliers swayed, and glasses on tables vibrated, while residents in Sarajevo, much farther from the epicentre, said they felt the quake only very weakly or barely at all.

There were some minor differences in how various sources described the event. One Croatian report spoke of a magnitude of 4.4 and placed the epicentre about 30 kilometres from the Pelješac Bridge, while another mentioned an epicentral distance of 30 kilometres from Neum, a coastal town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, all outlets agreed that the earthquake originated in the same offshore area near Mljet and occurred shortly after 23:00.

Despite the strong impressions reported by residents, officials stressed that there was no material damage and no injuries. Emergency and monitoring services continued to observe the situation but emphasised that there was no cause for alarm. For now, the event is being treated as a moderate offshore earthquake typical for this seismically active region of the Adriatic.

Info: ‘Croatian Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Croatian’, a language school offering various types of online Croatian courses to help you Croatian learn at your own pace. Through this service, we share resources, explanations and updates that support steady progress in the language.