Although Slovakia is not considered a country with high seismic activity, the eastern region of the country again felt underground tremors. On Monday, September 14, 2026, at 7:24 PM, an earthquake of magnitude 2.0 was recorded near the village of Pakostov in the Humenné district. This caused concern among local residents, as only three years ago this same region experienced one of the strongest earthquakes in recent decades.
The national network of seismic stations and the Ústav vied o Zemi Slovenskej akadémie vied (Institute of Earth Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences) confirmed that the earthquake's epicenter was located between Pakostov and Vyšná Sitnica. A feature of this tremor was its extremely shallow depth — only about 300 meters below the earth's surface. That is why, despite the low magnitude, residents of surrounding villages, including Nižná Sitnica, clearly felt a short shake, and some even heard a rumble or a sound similar to an explosion. A few minutes later, another, much weaker tremor of magnitude 0.4 was recorded, but at a depth of over five kilometers. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries or significant material damage.
Why is it important to report earthquakes?
The municipality of Ďapalovce in the Vranov nad Topľou district called on everyone who felt the earthquake to fill out the macroseismic questionnaire of the Ústav vied o Zemi SAV (Institute of Earth Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences). This data is extremely valuable for experts because it helps to more accurately determine where and with what intensity people felt the tremors, as well as what accompanying phenomena they noticed. This allows better mapping of the region's seismic activity and improves warning systems.
Historical context: the destructive earthquake of 2023
Eastern Slovakia has recent experience with significant earthquakes. On the evening of October 9, 2023, the region was shaken by a tremor with a local magnitude of 4.9. According to the Ústav vied o Zemi SAV, this was the strongest earthquake in Slovakia since 1930. Its epicentral intensity reached the 8th degree on the 12-point European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98.
At that time, the greatest damage was recorded in the villages of Ďapalovce, Černina, Nižná Sitnica, Vyšná Sitnica, and Jankovce. Residential buildings, chimneys, and even churches were damaged, and reports of damage came from over 80 settlements. After the main tremor, dozens of aftershocks followed, the strongest of which, with a magnitude of 2.7, occurred in February 2024. Historically, this area, including the surroundings of Giraltovce, Hanušovce nad Topľou, Humenné, and Strážske, is known for its seismic activity, confirmed by events in 1914 and 1941.
Source: presovskenovinky.sk
