Croatia commemorates 5th anniversary of Zagreb quake

Hina - Five years have passed since the devastating Zagreb earthquake, which struck the city at 6:24 AM on 22 March 2020, with a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale, and killed one victim.

The epicentre was seven kilometres north of central Zagreb, in the suburb of Markuševec. A 15-year-old girl lost her life due to sustained wounds, while 27 other people were injured.

It was the strongest earthquake in the Zagreb area in the last 140 years. Less than half an hour after the main quake, another tremor of magnitude 5.0 followed.

In the days that ensued, a series of aftershocks occurred, with approximately 3,500 recorded by the end of 2021.

The earthquake struck during the introduction of epidemiological measures and widespread fear caused by the newly discovered coronavirus, which made the situation more complicated.

Images of maternity patients standing outside Petrova Hospital, the damaged cathedral spire, and streets and parked cars buried under bricks and rubble were shared worldwide and remain deeply etched in the collective memory of citizens.

The historic core of Zagreb was significantly damaged, and the surrounding counties of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje also suffered the consequences.

Numerous houses, schools, churches, hospitals, court buildings, as well as the government and parliament buildings, were either destroyed or severely damaged - 25,000 structures in total. More than 6,000 private and public buildings were deemed uninhabitable and the damage was estimated at over €11.6 billion.

Six months after the earthquake, the Reconstruction Act was passed, but due to poor initial results, it underwent several amendments. Several ministers have also been replaced in the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, which is now headed by Branko Bačić.

So far, €2.04 bn spent on reconstruction efforts, "BBB" principle for reconstruction

Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the earthquake, Bačić said the reconstruction process is at its halfway mark in terms of timeline, with completion expected by 2030. So far, €2.04 billion has been spent on reconstruction efforts.

Reconstruction has been fully completed at 3,815 locations, including 3,402 private buildings and houses, covering 35,748 residential units.

Additionally, 413 public building and infrastructure projects have been completed, along with the construction of 38 replacement family homes.

Croatia has chosen to restore public sector buildings using the "build back better" (BBB)principle, aiming for long-term solutions that enhance resilience to potential future disasters and emergencies.

At present, 766 construction sites are active, 98 of which are financed by the EU Solidarity Fund.

Seismic retrofitting is underway at 556 sites (282 houses and 274 buildings). Meanwhile, 36 multi-apartment buildings are in the process of contractor selection and 127 buildings are in the design procurement phase.

A total of 26 replacement family homes are under construction, 24 are in the contractor selection process and 13 are in the design phase. A distinctive aspect of the reconstruction effort is the block renovation of buildings, with the "Mali Vatikan" complex in Zagreb currently undergoing restoration, covering 25 entrances and 259 residential units. Additionally, six more residential blocks are in various stages of reconstruction.

To mark the fifth anniversary of the earthquake, Minister Bačić will visit three families in Čučerje and Markuševec whose replacement homes have been completed. Later, alongside Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek, he will hold a press conference on the reconstruction of private and public buildings in Zagreb’s earthquake-affected areas at the fully restored Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets building.

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