A rumble that destroyed the coast and left devastation: 42 years since Montenegro's worst earthquake

Photo: Profimedia

On April 15, 1979, at exactly 7:19 am, Montenegro was hit by a catastrophic earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale in its epicenter.

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The quake caused enormous destruction along the entire Montenegrin coast, that's over 100 kilometers long.

The epicenter was in the Adriatic Sea, between the towns of Ulcinj and Bar, 15 kilometers away from the coast. The quake killed 101 people in Montenegro and 35 in Albania.

About 100,000 people were left without a roof over their heads.

The towns of Ulcinj, Bar, Petrovac, Budva, Tivat, Kotor, Risan and Herceg Novi suffered the most, a large number of then modern hotel capacities were destroyed, while 53 healthcare, 570 welfare and child protection facilities and 240 schools were damaged, Rtcg.me reports.

Cultural and historical monuments were especially hit, and about 350 kilometers of highways and 200 kilometers of regional roads got damaged.

The overall damage is estimated to have been more than 4.5 billion dollars. But the 1979 earthquake will be remembered, according to those who witnessed it, for the sacrifices people made in its wake, and for solidarity.

(Telegraf.rs)