---
title: "Earthquake in Romania rattles Chisinau and southern Moldova "
url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/87630/earthquake-in-romania-rattles-chisinau-and-southern-moldova
published: 2026-10-19T11:04:17Z
language: en
author: "Dumitru Petruleac"
section: "Social"
source: radiomoldova.md
---

# Earthquake in Romania rattles Chisinau and southern Moldova 

> A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck eastern Romania on Monday morning at 11:52 AM, sending noticeable tremors across the Republic of Moldova and shaking buildings in the capital Chișinău.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/68c8764c-a3f0-4dd3-a2ba-012e54847bfe.jpg)

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck eastern Romania on Monday morning at 11:52 AM, sending noticeable tremors across the Republic of Moldova and shaking buildings in the capital Chișinău.

**Deep focal depth limits surface damage**

The seismic event originated near Râmnicu Sărat at an intermediate depth of 76.5 kilometres, according to seismological authorities. The tremor was felt at an intensity of approximately 4 on the MSK scale in Chișinău, with slightly stronger ground shaking registered across southern districts bordering Romania.

*“At 11:52, an earthquake was recorded. Following automatic preliminary calculations, the tremor registered a magnitude of 4.38 on the Richter scale,”* said Igor Nicoară, Director of Moldova’s Institute of Geology and Seismology. *“The focal depth was 76.5 kilometres, while on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, the intensity reached four degrees in Chișinău and slightly higher in the south.”*

**Regional seismic vulnerability**

The epicenter lies within the curvature of the seismically active Vrancea-Buzău subcrustal zone, which regularly generates intermediate-depth tectonic activity affecting both sides of the Prut River. No casualties or infrastructural damage were reported by emergency and civil protection authorities in either country.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

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