MECENCANI, Croatia (AP) – After the deadly earthquake, sinks came.
A central region of Croatia some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital, Zagreb, is full of round holes of all sizes, which appeared after the magnitude 6.4 earthquake in December that killed seven people and caused extensive damage. undoing.
Scientists have been gathering in Mecencani and other villages in the sparsely populated region for observation and study.
“These are the so-called sinks and arose due to the specific geological composition of this area, since the soil rests on limestone rocks heavily saturated with groundwater,” said geologist Josip Terzic, from the Croatian Geological Survey.
Although the appearance of sinks is not uncommon after strong seismic activity, residents were perplexed by their number – about 100 were seen in the past two months – and the speed with which they emerged after the main earthquake on December 29, which was followed by a series of aftershocks. Geologists said the quake accelerated the sinking process that would normally take years, if not decades.
Terzic said that scientists are planning various exploration methods to determine underwater morphology and other characteristics. He spoke to the Associated Press while standing next to a large hole that he said was up to 15 meters deep and of equal width.
Some drains have appeared in people’s homes or on their agricultural land, which has prompted authorities to advise caution. Nenad Tomasevic, a professor at Mecencani, said that everything seemed too much.
“The earthquake itself was very unpleasant, to say the least. And after that, those holes started to appear, ”said Tomasevic, who had to move to a neighbor’s house after an expanding hole appeared in his backyard.
“Experts say these holes would have formed naturally anyway over time, but the earthquake acted as a kind of catalyst that unfortunately accelerated the whole process,” he added.
About three months after the earthquake, the hardest hit area still struggles with its devastation, with many houses still in rubble and the region’s main city, Petrinja, semi-abandoned. Occasional earthquakes, including those of magnitude 4 or greater, can still be felt, further disturbing residents and adding to the problems of the coronavirus pandemic.