An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 struck western Slovakia on Saturday afternoon, initial data indicated a magnitude of 4.6. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) informs about it on its website. For TASR the head of the seismology department of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kristián Csicsay, also confirmed the earthquake. As he added, the epicenter was on the Slovakian-Hungarian border approximately two kilometers from Šamorín.
The EMSC website marked the location of the earthquake measurement with coordinates that they refer to a field near the village of Kyselica near Šamorín. Previous data referred to the Gabčíkovo waterworks. According to the EMSC, the earthquake should have occurred at a depth of 13 kilometers at 1:44 p.m. CET. Csicsay told TASR that the data measured by automatic instruments has yet to be reviewed by a seismologist.
Šamorína Diana, a resident, described for TASR that the tremors were intense for about ten seconds. She felt as if a plane had fallen very close. “Our whole house and furniture were shaking, my friend and I went outside, where we also met other neighbors,” she stated. The tremors were also felt in Bratislava. People felt their seats, desks and monitors shaking. Firefighters confirmed for TASR that they are conducting a search in the area around Šamorín based on calls.
Two female readers who live near the capital city contacted us. “It was as if the couch was shaking and all the dishes in the kitchen were rattling. At first we were scared that the cabinets in the kitchen had come loose or that the dryer had fallen from the washing machine.” reader Nikola wrote to us what was the first thing that came to her mind.
Reader Veronika had a similar experience. “The seat shook under me, as if I was jumping on it. It was very disgusting…” she let herself be heard. Residents of an apartment building in Bratislava’s Ružinov felt such a blow that they thought it was a gas explosion.
Reader Lukáš, who was also in Ružinov, contacted our editorial office. “I was sitting in the studio and working on the computer. My monitor and table were shaking out of nowhere. Then the chair I was sitting on. I thought I was hallucinating. A slight noise was also heard for a while, as if someone was renovating the apartment, I thought I kicked the table, but apparently I was wrong“, the resident of Bratislava revealed.
