Earthquake hits Macedonia capital Skopje

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck close to Macedonia’s capital Skopje on Sunday but there were no reports of injuries or major property damage.

The quake took place at a depth of 10km (7 miles) at 1310 GMT, 2km northeast of Skopje, according to the U.S. Geological Service. Witnesses said windows shattered and some cracks had appeared on walls in the capital, which sits on a fault line, and there was panic among residents.

Neither the police nor local media had any reports of injuries or major damage.

“People ran out on to the street in a panic,” said a Reuters witness. The earthquake could be felt in neighboring Kosovo.

Skopje was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1963 which killed over 1,000 people in one of Europe’s worst-ever natural disasters.