Montenegro: Magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurs in northern Niksic Municipality at around 04:06 March 14

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurred in northern Niksic Municipality, Montenegro, at around 04:06 March 14. The epicenter was about 21 km (13 miles) southwest of Pluzine, Montenegro. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 8 km (5 miles), and very strong to moderate shaking was probably felt near the epicenter in Niksic Municipality, western Montenegro, and light shaking throughout the rest of Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, southern Croatia, southwestern Serbia, northern Albania, and far northwestern North Macedonia. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are likely over the coming days. 

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.