No damage

Earth shook three times within 64 minutes

On Monday evening, a slight earthquake was felt in the Upper Austrian district of Kirchdorf (symbolic image).

(Bild: Andrey VP - stock.adobe.com)

There was a rumble in Upper Austria on Monday evening. The culprit was a slight earthquake that was felt in the Kirchdorf district. However, no damage has been reported for the time being. Further small earth tremors could follow soon under Hinterstoder.

Three earthquakes within 64 minutes - tectonic tension built up three kilometers below Hinterstoder on Tuesday night. The magnitudes of 1.3 to 2.0 are considered minor. "Such earthquakes occur around 50 times a year in Austria, about three of them in Upper Austria," explains seismologist Anton Vogelmann from GeoSphere Austria.

Not yet a series
The three quakes in a row should not yet be seen as a series. The experts cannot predict whether there will be another "rumble" in the coming days, but a quake with stronger consequences is not to be expected. "We are two levels away from the zone in the Mediterranean where the European and African continental plates collide. But the Alps are an expression of these forces underground," explains the scientist, who has received a handful of reports from people who noticed the quakes in and around Hinterstoder.

Earthquake area
No damage was reported, which is not to be expected with such tremors. In Upper Austria, the area south of Bad Hall and Steyr is the region with the strongest earthquake activity.