At least 13 people were killed and dozens buildings damaged when a strong earthquake shook Chechnya and other parts of Russia’s North Caucasus today, emergency officials said.
The quake hit at around 1pm local time and was centred north-east of the Chechen capital, Grozny, Russian officials said.
The US Geological Survey said the tremor had a magnitude of 5.3.
A series of aftershocks were felt throughout the North Caucasus and rattled Grozny for more than 30 seconds, said a regional Emergency Situations Ministry official. Most of those who died were killed by falling debris or furniture in homes and apartment buildings, he added.
The earthquake left hundreds of locals sheltering in tents the day before regional elections.
About 500 families needed tent shelters for the night in the town of Kurchaloi, about 20km (12 miles) southeast of the Chechen capital, which saw the worst damage in the region, the Emergencies Ministry said.
"We must not forget that we have elections tomorrow," Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov told a briefing. "They must go ahead as a happy event for all residents of Chechnya."
At least five of the victims were killed in Kurchaloi, where the tremor cracked the walls of the local hospital, and a soldier died when the wall of a polling station collapsed on him, the ministry said.
Russia’s Caucasus Mountain region only sees occasional earthquakes. Most buildings are not reinforced against severe structural shocks and even small quakes can cause serious damage.
Chechnya is one of Russia’s poorest regions, having suffered through two devastating wars in the past 15 years. Many people in the region are unemployed, and sporadic fighting between separatist rebels and federal and regional forces erupts regularly.
AP