Several people reported that they have felt an earthquake in the evening on the 30th of March around half past six. According to several sources, the epicentre of the earthquake was originating from Eastern Austria.
Index received several accounts of an earthquake with a magnitude of 3 to 4 from Sopron and some of the surrounding areas in the North-western border of Hungary. According to the accounts, the earthquake lasted around 30 to 40 seconds. Luckily, there was no damages or injuries reported that was connected to the natural phenomenon which is quite rare in the area.
One of Index’s readers said the following: “I was sitting at the kitchen table when from under my feet I felt like a football game was going on next door. But we live in the 2nd floor apartment of a quiet house. The hanging chandelier swung very slightly. The roar lasted a few seconds. I have really never experienced this before.”
The Hungarian disaster management shared on their Facebook page the measurement and announcement of the ELKH CSFK GGI Kövesligethy Radó Seismological Observatory, that
on the 30th of March, at 18:25, there was an earthquake in Austria near Wien, only 30 kilometres away from the Hungarian border at an approximate depth of eight kilometres. The magnitude of the earthquake was 4.3 on the Richter scale
and was felt in several places in Hungary, but there were no reports of any damage.
Several websites dealing with geology have also shared their information and confirmed the Hungarian measurements with some slight differences. Most sources put the magnitude of the earthquake between 4.2 and 4.6 on the Richter scale with a maximum possible magnitude of 6.1 in the epicentre. Erdbebennews says that the epicentre was originating from a depth of 10 kilometres next to Neunkirchen, approximately five kilometres away from Wiener Neustadt and around 30 kilometres from the Hungarian border.
The earthquake could be felt in the entire Burgenland region and although this magnitude of the earthquake could damage buildings, there were only reports of small cracks, but no major damage in the vicinity of the epicentre and no damages farther away from it.
“I watched TV and the sofa started to move side to side below me. It was not very strong, but it was definitely noticeable. I looked up at the lamp on the ceiling, it was moving, even though it is fixed to the ceiling. The motion was not very strong, but it could definitely be felt,” – said another Hungarian account.
Featured image: European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC)