Series of mild to moderate earthquakes rattles Macedonia

SKOPJE, Macedonia – A series of mild to moderate earthquakes rattled Macedonia early Tuesday, causing panic and minor damage to houses near the epicenter. No injuries were reported.

Macedonia’s National Seismological Observatory says the strongest earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 and struck at 5:24 a.m. local time (0324 GMT), 145 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of the capital, Skopje, in the Dojran area near the border with Greece.

The quake, which occurred at a depth of about 15 kilometres, was also felt in Greece and Bulgaria.

The observatory says about 100 mild tremors were registered since late Monday.

The Dojran area has had strong earthquakes in the past.