BUCHAREST, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Romania's eastern county of Vrancea on Sunday night, announced the National Institute for Earth Physics.
The earthquake's focus was at 38 kilometers depth with its epicenter located at 45.91 degrees latitude and 27.17 longitude, some 200 km northeast of the capital city of Bucharest.
Earthquakes occurred frequently in Romania recently, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the same county on Nov. 22, which was the strongest earthquake in the latest 10 years after a 6-magnitude earthquake on Oct. 27, 2004.
The Vrancea seismic zone, including counties of Vrancea and Buzau, as well as surrounding mountains, is one of the most active seismic areas in Europe. It is known for its intermediate-depth (70-200 km) earthquakes, which can reach a magnitude of 7.0 to 7.8.
In March 1977, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed 1,600 people in Romania and damaged 8,500 buildings.
