Strong shallow 5.6 magnitude earthquake strikes west Bulgaria

May 22, 2012 – BULGARIA – A very strong shallow 5.6 magnitude earthquake has struck the region of Bulgaria north of Pernik. The depth of the earthquake was 9.1 km (5.7 miles) and the epicenter 24 km (14 miles) W of SOFIA, Bulgaria and east of Route 63 near Meshtitsa. SW Bulgaria is a region of the country especially prone to large seismic earthquakes. According to EMSC, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake aftershock struck about an hour after the original quake. The USGS listed the aftershock as a 4.9 tremor. The second tremor was followed by a third tremor of lesser intensity measuring around a 4.3 magnitude at a 9.3 km depth. Residents near the epicenter of the earthquakes said the jolts were so strong and intense, many were awakened from sleep and too agitated to try and sleep again, as the aftershocks continue to ripple into the early hours of the morning. The first earthquake struck at around 3 am in the morning. There is no word yet on injuries or damage from today’s earthquake. The Kozloduy nuclear power plant is also about 200 km northeast of Sofia and there has been no word yet from government officials on if safety-precedures called for the plant to be shut down or taken-off line as a precautionary measure in light of the recent seismic activity erupting in the southwest region of the country. We will update this post as soon as we receive more information. –The Extinction Protocol