Hundreds of sinkholes appeared in the central region of Croatian after an earthquake that occurred on December 29 last year. This is a diagram of the sinkholes.
After a deadly earthquake in Croatia last December, sinkholes of various sizes sprang up, many of them next to farmland or houses, affecting the lives of local residents, local authorities have warned.
According to the Associated Press, the 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the central region of Croatia on Dec. 29 last year, with its epicenter located about 46 kilometers southwest of the capital Zagreb. Seven people were killed in the natural disaster.
Over the past two months, some 100 craters have appeared in the quake-hit area, prompting scientists to flock to the area to investigate and study them.
Although it is not uncommon for such so-called sinkholes to appear after strong seismic activity, the number and speed at which these sinkholes have appeared has surprised local residents.
Geologists say that sinkholes usually take years or even decades to form, but earthquakes accelerate the process of their formation.
Josip Terzic, a geologist with the Croatian Geological Survey, said the sinkholes appeared because the soil on the limestone was seeping heavily into the groundwater.
Since some of the sinkholes appear near farmland or houses in central Croatian, local authorities have urged people to be safe. Nenad Tomasevic, a teacher who lives in the village of Mecencani, expressed his opinion.
He said, “It’s no exaggeration to say that the earthquake itself was already quite annoying, and after it happened, these holes started popping up.”
He added: “Experts say that these sinkholes would have formed naturally over Time, if at all, but unfortunately the earthquake acted as a catalyst and accelerated this whole process.”
The earthquake and aftershocks, as well as the successive sinkholes, have added to the suffering of the victims as the Communist pneumonia (Wuhan pneumonia) Epidemic rages on.
Recent Comments