May 22, 2012 Earthquake: Pernik, Bulgaria
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Pernik, Bulgaria on May 22, 2012 at 00:00:32 UTC, 10 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- May 22, 2012
- Time
- 00:00:32 UTC
- Place
- Pernik, Bulgaria
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 42.645° N, 22.968° E
- Country
- Bulgaria
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- 90
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
At least 90 buildings damaged (VII) at Pernik and some buildings damaged (V) at Sofia. Landslides and ground cracks were observed in the epicentral area. Felt (IV) at Dupnitsa, Pleven, Plovdiv, Ruse, Samokov and Vratsa. Felt throughout central and western Bulgaria. Felt (V) at Pirot and (IV) at Nis, Serbia and (IV) at Alexandroupoli, Drama,
Komotini, Pilaia, Serres and Xanthi, Greece. Felt in
northeastern Greece, Kosovo, central and northeastern
Macedonia, southern Romania, central and southern Serbia and northwestern Turkey. (reference #1053)
Construction inspections have shown the condition of buildings in the Southwestern Bulgarian city of Pernik is worse than what was initially expected, according to the city's Mayor, Rositsa Yanakieva... Serious damage has been observed in a total of 90 municipal buildings, she added.
(reference #9884)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 26, 1963, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- April 14, 1928, Chirpan, Bulgaria
- February 25, 1983, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- April 24, 2002, N, Kosovo, Macedonia, Balkans NW, Serbia
- December 21, 1990, Edhessa, Kilkis, Greece
- 1555, Razlovci, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- September 30, 1858, Bulgaria
- April 23, 1818, Bulgaria
- 1641, Bulgaria
- October 8, 1905, Bulgaria
- February 26, 1755, Serbia, Balkans NW
- April 4, 1904, Struma, Bulgaria
- April 4, 1904, Struma, Bulgaria
- November 3, 1977, Velingrad, Romania
- September 4, 896, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
More
Significant earthquakes of 2012The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2012Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 9906.