5.6 quake rattles capital of Bulgaria SR

An earthquake measuring 5.6 magnitude shook the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, today at 03:00 local time. Panicked residents running into the street. However, the authorities until the morning local time has not received reports of casualties or material damage.

Reuters news agency reported Tuesday, May 22, 2012, the center of the quake was 22 kilometers to the west of Sofia. U.S. Geological Survey noted institutions, accounting for shallow depth of the earthquake, which is 9.3 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the civil defense office said the epicenter was near the town of Pernik, western Bulgaria. Here, felt the tremor was strong enough, can even be felt by residents in southwestern Bulgaria.

"The quake caused chimneys and old houses collapsed," said Mayor of Pernik, Rositsa Yanakieva. At least 30 people Pernik seek medical help, mostly complaining about his blood pressure rose during the earthquake.

In Sofia, the panicked residents out of their homes and choose to be in the streets.

Bulgaria is the Eastern European country located near the Black Sea and a population of eight million people. Geographically, the country is located in the Balkans, which is quite prone to earthquakes.

Earthquake in Bulgaria comes days after a region in Italy, precisely in the City of Finale Emilia, had a similar natural event last weekend.