March 22, 2020 Earthquake: Zagreb, Croatia, Balkans NW

Name: March 22, 2020 Earthquake: Zagreb, Croatia, Balkans NW
Start: 2020-03-22
Location: Zagreb, Croatia, Balkans NW

March 22, 2020 · M5.3 · 1 death · $1.8 billion · 6,305 houses destroyed

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Zagreb, Croatia, Balkans NW on March 22, 2020 at 05:24:03 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.

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: March 22, 2020
Time: 05:24:03 UTC
Place: Zagreb, Croatia, Balkans NW
Magnitude: 5.3 (Mw)
Focal depth: 10 km (6 mi)
Intensity: 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 45.907° N, 15.970° E
Country: Croatia

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 27
Damage: $1.8 billion
Houses destroyed: 6,305
Houses damaged: 20,000

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.

Reference #13456:

One person killed and 26 injured; 26,197 buildings damaged or destroyed, including the historic Zagreb Cathedral; power outages and several fires occurred in the Zagreb area. The earthquake created a 10 ft. sinkhole at Stubicke Toplice.

Kasina, Grad Zagreb, Croatia - CDI: 8; Plaski, Karlovac, Croatia - CDI: 7; Brestaca, Sisak-Moslavina, Croatia - CDI: 7; Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia - CDI: 7; Horvati, Grad Zagreb, Croatia - CDI: 7

Reference #12682, #12683:

An earthquake of 5.4 M at a depth of 10 km occurred in north Croatia on 22 March at 5.24 UTC (6.24 local time). The epicentre was in the Zagreb area, approximately 10 km north of downtown. The earthquake was followed by aftershocks, the largest of 4.6 M.

Media report, as of 23 March, 27 injured people, one deaths - due to severe injuries caused by the earthquake - had been reported. There are over 600 damaged buildings (including the Zagreb cathedral tower) estimated so far, some of which are no longer usable, and several power outages in the area. Some minor damage to buildings were also reported in the nearby (45 km south-west) Karlovac city.

Reference #12690:

The ministry said inspections had been made of 6,305 buildings "so far" and that 1,160 had been left unusable and in need of "emergency measures".

Reference #12694:

An earthquake rattled Croatia's capital, a month after a stronger tremor left Zagreb in need of $6 billion for renovation, adding to a growing list of costs as the European Union battles the coronavirus.

More than 20,000 buildings remain in need of repair, including the Finance Ministry and one of the central bank's venues. Zagreb's iconic neo-Gothic cathedral, whose decades-long renovation was close to completion, lost its twin spires. Most damage took place inside structures, complicating rebuilding efforts.

Reference #12828:

In March, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 struck the region north of Zagreb. The epicentre was only 10 km from the city of Zagreb. Property losses totalled US$ 1.8bn.

Reference #1250:

1.8 billion USD total damage, 1 death, 27 injured

Reference #13727:

6.13 billion USD economic losses

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 2020 The 2000s Every quake the USGS located in 2020 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 10486.