A moderate earthquake shook central Serbia early on Wednesday, killing two people when the roof of their home collapsed, and injuring at least 50, officials said.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the tremor had a magnitude of 5.4 and its epicentre was 2 km north of the city of Kraljevo, about 150 km (94 miles) southwest of the capital Belgrade.
"I can confirm two deaths. A couple died in the village of Grdica (just outside Kraljevo) when the ceiling collapsed," interior minister Ivica Dacic said as he visited the area by helicopter. "We have rescue teams and police deployed for rescue and salvage operations. Material damage to the area is big."
A duty officer at the local medical centre in Kraljevo, a city of about 70,000, said at least 50 people were injured in the quake, many of them with minor cuts and bruises.
Eyewitnesses reported damage to buildings, including the local hospital, whose basement was flooded when a waterpipe burst.
"The town is littered with debris. Some older houses are destroyed completely, Milica Lazarevic, 40, a dentist from Kraljevo, said. "My street and perhaps half of the town have no phones, water and electricity," she added.
The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 5.3 and was felt throughout the region, despite its relatively shallow depth of 10km (6.2 miles).
