We reveal Serbia's earthquake-prone areas - do earthquakes threaten us after catastrophe in Albania

We asked the Seismological Survey of Serbia how to deal with earthquakes

A strong earthquake that shook Albania and the entire region last night drew all of our attention. The question that follows after each earthquake is - are there more ahead? This question was answered by Branko Dragicevic from the Seismological Survey of Serbia.

"It's one inevitable rule: after a major impact there are subsequent strikes. An exact prediction as to whether an earthquake will occur, does not exist. They don't have a season, a time of day, they can happen at any time, in any region. Hundreds of millions of earthquakes happen on Earth every year. There is a seismic hazard, it has been a constant phenomenon present for millions of years. You cannot prevent or affect an earthquake."

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"There are about 200 to 300 different signs that an earthquake will occur, they are different for different areas. But they cannot serve as a template for prediction."

Branko then explained where the most common mistake is when it comes to fear, and earthquake protection.

"The concept of earthquake protection is not about forecasting when an earthquake will occur, but about building structures that will be earthquake resistant. Property and lives are best protected in that way, rather than somebody letting you know when an earthquake will occur so you can escape in time."

"By building resilient, sturdy buildings, you don't live in fear of whether or not an earthquake will occur. Because, like rain, an earthquake cannot be prevented."

"Weather forecast can predict what exactly will happen in an hour or two... No seismic activity can be predicted exactly, be it typhoons, tornadoes, landslides, or floods," he said.

Asked about the way residential units are built in our country - old and new - and whether they meet the safety standards - Dragicevic said that this was a question for civil engineers.

Serbia is a moderately earthquake-prone area

The strongest earthquakes that can be expected here are magnitude 5 or 6 - which means that they cannot destroy a building, but can eventually make it unsuitable for life.

Since these are not destructive earthquakes, they are defended against by good construction standards.

The most earthquake-prone locations in Serbia - this does not include Belgrade - include:

- Kosovo and Metohija

- The Vranje Basin

Moderate shifts can be expected in central Serbia, with the least problematic areas being Vojvodina and Eastern Serbia. Belgrade is not a focal point but it can expect earthquakes created by stimuli arising from surrounding epicenters, such as Maljen, Rudnik, Lazarevac.

The most recent three earthquakes that occurred in Serbia last night happened in Pec, Prizren and Decani, with magnitudes ranging between 2.3 and 2.9.

(J.D./Telegraf.rs)