Zagreb’s Museums Count Cost of Earthquake Damage

Valuable exhibits have been damaged at many of Zagreb's museums by the earthquakes that rocked the capital on Sunday.

The Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, which has over 450,000 different artefacts, said on Monday that it has sustained "severe damage to its permanent display and objects".

The building that houses the museum, which was built in 1879, was also damaged. The museum said that "cracks appeared on the exterior of the building and the appearance of numerous cracks in the interior building was noted."

The Museum of Arts and Crafts also suffered damage, as did the interior of the Ethnographic Museum building. Windows on the Ethnographic Museum's cabinets were broken, while ceramic, glass and clay artefacts sustained the worst damage.

The city of Zagreb on Monday declared a natural disaster after the earthquake that damaged at least 450 buildings. On Monday evening it was confirmed that a 15-year-old girl who was badly injured in the earthquake has died.

Damaged buildings included the iconic cathedral, one of whose spires partly collapsed. The quake has been described as the worst to hit the city in 140 years, and came as the country struggled to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Demage after earthquake in Archaeological Museum in Zagreb. Photo: Archaeological Museum in Zagreb.

Damage to exhibits at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb. Photo: Archaeological Museum in Zagreb.

Photo: Archaeological Museum in Zagreb.

Photo: Archaeological Museum in Zagreb.

Photo: Archaeological Museum in Zagreb.

Earthquake damage at Zagreb's Museum of Arts and Crafts. Photo: Museum of Arts and Crafts.

Photo: Museum of Arts and Crafts.

Damage to exhibits at...