The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck the mountainous region in western Montenegro early on Thursday.
The USGS data showed that the epicenter was in the Pluzine area, around 30 km (18.64 miles) from Montenegro’s city of Niksic and not far from the border with neighboring Bosnia. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.
The Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology said the quake was felt in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, and neighboring Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and Albania. Local media reported that the quake caused cracks in some buildings and triggered landslides that blocked some roads.
While not causing significant damage or injuries, this earthquake is part of a series of seismic events occurring in the Balkan region. In recent years, the area has experienced several major and minor tremors, including a 5.7-magnitude quake near Stolac in April 2022 that resulted in one fatality, numerous injuries, and a deadly 6.4-magnitude quake in 2020.
The USGS, a science-based department within the United States Department of the Interior, is crucial in providing unbiased scientific information about the Earth. Its mission is to understand and predict natural hazards, minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters, and manage water, biological, energy, mineral, and other resources. The agency operates more than 250 laboratories nationwide to analyze physical and chemical samples such as water, sediment, rock, invertebrates, plants, animals, oil, and gas.
This is the latest of more than a dozen large quakes in the past few weeks to hit the area. Earlier this week, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the uninhabited border region between Serbia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. It was followed by several aftershocks, causing cracks in some buildings and triggering landslides, which blocked some roads.
This quake’s exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth might be revised within hours or minutes as seismologists review the data and refine their calculations. USGS publishes annual earthquake statistics in batches, which means that the temporal count and magnitude distribution for various locations on Earth can lag behind actual events for a few hours or even days.
If you are a resident near this earthquake and experienced strong shaking, we encourage you to report it by filling out this form. Your report will contribute to our understanding of the event and also help improve the accuracy of future seismic hazard maps.
